Millers hail GMB move on stack-burnt maize

resuscitate the country’s ailing poultry and piggery sectors.
GMAZ national chairman Mr Tafadzwa Musarara yesterday said it was crucial for the country to revive poultry, piggery and dairy farming after the sectors were brutally affected by the importation of finished products from neighbouring countries in the last three years.
“The milling industry welcomes the selling of stack-burnt maize to livestock farmers by the GMB and private buyers at a very low cost.
“This development is key in resuscitating the poultry, piggery, beef and dairy farming that had been ravaged by uncontrolled imports of meat and milk in the last three years,” said Mr Musarara.
Meanwhile, Mr Musarara said GMAZ members have been warned against producing maize-meal or anything for human consumption from the stack-burnt maize. 
“GMAZ would like to assure the consuming public that it is not using stack-burnt maize for the production of maize meal or any other human feed.
“GMAZ abides by the high level quality standards as evidenced by the premier quality products we produce which compare favourably with those from the region,” said Mr Musarara.
Stack-burnt maize is characterised by brown discolouration due to the build-up of heat in the interior of bag stacks, especially when the maize is kept in polypropylene sacks.
Technology to prevent stack-burn was validated in experimental trials undertaken by researchers in Zimbabwe, using outdoor stacks covered with tarpaulins that are typical of the operation of the GMB. This involved building bag stacks using a honeycombed stacking pattern to provide good ventilation.
In 1993, ventilated stacks and control stacks were prepared and over a 15-month period, it was shown that all ventilated stacks had moisture content stability while control stacks exhibited fluctuating moisture content.
For milled rice in humid climates, quality is ensured over several years by sealing bag stacks into plastic envelops flushed with phosphine or carbon dioxide.
This long-term rice storage technique is widely used in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam to safeguard those nations’ emergency rice reserves.