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52.GRuINSTORAGE.220. The normal pricefor grain in Kano is 0.6d.per lb. at harvest and 0i8d. to 1.0d. per lb.-duringthe rest of the year, .In 1943 hoarding by middlemenafter a light harvest led to serious inflation: guineacorn rose from 6/l1d, per cwt. in January to 25/- inJuly.' Grain stores were erected by the Native Administrationwith the object of stabilising prices by therelease of grain at the time of scarcity (June-July);thus ensuring that farmers should not. be scared intocorn-growing at the expense of. the groundnut crop.221. Fifteen sheds, jsch holding 250 tons ofbagged grain, were built alongside the Kano railwayBiding eta cost of £200 each. Grain was .hurriedlybought in Maiduguri, but transport by circuitous meansmore than trebled the cost price, and the Kano landedprice was £14. 2/- per ton. It,became heavily infestedwith weevil and was sold at £3.10/- per ton. Since itsinception the storage scheme, has involved the NativeAdministration in a loss of £20,000 exclusive of thecost of buildings.222. In 1944 grain was bought at Katsina at £5per ton, and cost £7-11/- delivered to store, including,bags and staff expenses. At the time of my visit84u tons of old grain remained in store. It was beingsold to licensed market retailers et 16/- per bag (bagworth 1/- to 1/6d.) or about £8 per ton. The maximumdaily release was fixed at 10 tons; actual buyings werebetween 4 and 8 tonr;. 'Weevil damage in a sampleinspected was about 10 per cent,223. The shedo had been patched in readinessfor fumigation of the new crop, of which 2,000 tonsof millet end guinea corn were to be bought. TheSenior Entomologist had pointed out the difficultyof making a rectangular building proof against reinfestation,and cylindrical tanks with a domed roofhad been designed for new storage centres at Adamawa,Jos and Gusau. Fumigation would be carried out bypcuring a non-inflammable mixture of carbon tetrachlorideand ethylene ditidoride through an openingin the roof leading to a system cf evaporating guttersfixed above the grain. The Public Works'Department considered that the erection of cylindricaltanks was beyond- the capabilities of localworkers in ferro-concrete, and the final shape ofthe buildings had not been decided when I left Nigeria.OIL dXPd^SoION; /