Winnowing & storage
Winnowing
Winnowing of fonio
After threshing, the largest pieces of straw are collected by hand and are generally used as animal feed
The mixture of grain and small pieces of straw left in the threshing area is transferred to loose-weave baskets that serve as sieves and separate the coarse dirt from the grain. Winnowing baskets or sieves are used for the final cleaning operation
These pre-cleaning and sieving operations are often done by women or the elderly
Storage
Like other cereals, fonio is usually stored in bulk, in traditional banco granaries
In some cases, particularly if it is to be sold in paddy or hulled form, the fonio may be bagged
If well dried (moisture content ‹ 10-11%), fonio can be stored for many months and even years
Storage in bulk
Dogon granaries
Last update: 14/02/2013 - CIRAD © 2009 (All rights reserved) - Disclaimer stating