Grains are a global staple and a cornerstone of food security. On average, people get 48% of their daily energy from grains.
Given their importance, post-harvest preservation and grain storage are equally vital to global food security. This becomes even more critical amid growing climate challenges, particularly El Niño.
The World Meteorological Organization signaled a rapid rise in the Equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperatures in the May 2026 update. It is confirmed in the September 2026 update that super El Niño conditions are expected to intensify and dominate global climate patterns through September–November. This increases the likelihood of above-normal temperatures and rainfall pattern shifts around the world.
What is El Niño?
El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. It is a natural phenomenon that irregularly occurs every 2 to 7 years, significantly affecting currents, temperatures, and weather across the world. Likewise, the impact of El Niño is also not regular or predictable.
How Does El Niño Affect Agriculture?
Agriculture is heavily reliant on climate, and El Niño-brought conditions are no exception. Higher temperatures and erratic rain patterns can affect yields, promote pests and diseases, and cause massive damage.
Related: El Niño: What It Means to Agriculture
In preparation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has mapped high-risk zones where El Niño-linked droughts can severely affect agriculture. FAO experts found high risks in the Sahel and southern Africa, in South and Southeast Asia, and in Central America and the Caribbean. Many of these regions were also hit hard during the 2015-2016 and 2023-2024 El Niño events.
Which Regions Are Most Vulnerable during El Niño?
According to the World Food Programme, countries that face poverty, economic instability, and repeated extreme weather are likely to be the hardest hit by El Niño. The regions include Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
Drier conditions may affect up to 16 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Alarmingly, the Central American Dry Corridor may experience severe impact, potentially increasing acute food insecurity by more than 80%.
Over 18 million people are at risk in Southern and East Africa. Drier conditions can affect Southern Africa’s rain-fed agriculture, while increased floods can affect the Horn of Africa in the east. In West and Central Africa, both drought and wetter conditions may affect about 7.4 million people. The Middle East and North Africa may face further pressure, especially with more than 33 million people already facing hunger.
Asia and the Pacific may experience a strong El Niño backlash. An additional 8.2 million people may be pushed into acute hunger.
The Philippines is among the most impacted countries in Asia Pacific. The local Department of Agriculture (DA) projects PHP 20 billion in losses (about 315 million USD), especially after the country lost PHP 16 billion (about 252 million USD) in the 2023-2024 El Niño. Among the sectors, rice production may experience losses between 700,000 and 1 million metric tons.
Effects of El Niño during Post-Harvest Grain Processing
Grain production is among the agricultural sectors most affected by extreme conditions. Many vulnerable regions, including Southeast Asia, rely on rice and maize production for food supply. Here are some of the impacts of El Niño on the agricultural sector:
Disruptions in Production
El Niño can reduce rainfall and prolong droughts, causing limited water availability. This often leads to delays, reduced cultivation areas, and crop failures. Thus, post-harvest processing becomes critical to preserve grains that made it to harvest.
Quality Decrease
High temperatures and water shortages can already decrease crop quality. Temperature also directly impacts how long grains can be stored. Molds thrive in 20-40°C, especially in humid conditions, leading to poor quality, compromised safety, and spoilage. Pests also spread faster and cause more damage at higher temperatures. One example is the rice weevil, a common grain storage pest. One study found that their activity and damage are highest between 20 and 35°C.
Market Instability
Lower yields are often expected; however, limited resources and El Niño's effects can also further increase post-harvest losses. This could mean less food supply, leading to increased costs and prices due to the imbalance between supply and demand.
How to Prevent Post-Harvest Grain Losses During El Niño?
Post-harvest grain preservation starts with proactive measures. Determining vulnerable areas and staying informed help with planning and strategizing. Another step is implementing proper post-harvest management while enhancing resilience through climate-smart solutions and practices.
Related: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Agribusiness for El Niño
Drying
Proper drying is a crucial stage before post-harvest storage. It reduces risks of mold growth, prolongs shelf life, and preserves grain quality.
Many smallholder farmers rely on traditional sun or field drying, which is vulnerable to environmental conditions. While droughts are common during El Niño, sudden rains are still a possibility.
One way to address this is by using climate-smart solutions. These solutions are built with protective features against sudden rains, contamination, and even pests that are more active in warmer conditions. The Collapsible Dryer Case™ and Bubble Dryer™ are both examples of climate-smart solutions that work with traditional sun drying.
Storage
Grains may be sold for consumption or stored after drying and processing. However, post-harvest grain storage has a number of benefits, especially in ensuring there will be supply even during leaner seasons.
Investing in resilient storage is essential to preserve grains during El Niño. However, not all storage systems are properly equipped against common and El Niño-linked challenges such as increased pest activity, mold growth, spoilage, and weather changes.
When it comes to accessibility, Hermetic Technology is a time-tested solution for post-harvest grain storage. Hermetic storage blocks air and moisture, providing natural pest control and protection against external fluctuations.
One example of hermetic storage is the Cocoon™, a flood-protected solution for bagged grains of 600 kilograms to 300 metric tons. This large-scale solution can be set up indoors or outdoors. For small-scale storage, the Hermetic Bag Premium™ (formerly SuperGrainBag) provides the same protection as an inner lining for jute bags and PP sacks.
Transport
Grains are also among the globally traded commodities. Unexpected circumstances and losses are often expected during grain transport due to the distance between origin and destination.
Climatic differences are among these challenges in grain transport, whether or not an El Niño event occurs. Metal shipping containers can be easily affected by fluctuations, which can lead to condensation, moisture ingress, and mold growth. Infestations can also thrive without adequate protection.
Hermetic Technology offers a solution to grain transport issues. Utilizing the same concept as storage, hermetic liners add a protective inner barrier to shipping containers. TranSafeliner™ is a hermetic liner designed to protect commodities against condensation, infestations, and other moisture-related issues.
How Can Hermetic Storage Reduce Post-Harvest Grain Losses?
In post-harvest applications, Hermetic Technology provides a stable environment that protects grains against common issues like molds, pests, and fluctuations.
Hermetic Technology is a simple concept that uses airtightness and moisture resistance to create a controlled atmosphere. This sealed environment prevents air and moisture exchange, increasing carbon dioxide levels inside through natural respiration. This naturally exterminates pests and inhibits microbial activity.
Furthermore, Hermetic Technology minimizes the impact of external fluctuations and weather conditions. With proper setup, a hermetic storage solution can maintain its controlled atmosphere so effectively that stored grains remain stable at their peak quality during prolonged storage.
As the world deals with climatic shifts and El Niño, climate-smart innovations become more essential than ever in protecting grains after harvest. Hermetic Technology is one accessible solution that helps maintain stability during times of uncertainty.
Dedicated to Storing the Future, GrainPro® delivers adaptable post-harvest solutions for drying, storage, and transport — preserving each grain and building greater resilience against an increasingly unpredictable climate.
The right post-harvest solution can protect today’s harvest for tomorrow's needs. Take the next step with GrainPro® innovations today.