The Impact of Model Household Level Storage Technology and User Training Program on Storage Losses and Marketed Outcomes: Evidence from Onion producing areas in Bangladesh

Last registered on December 05, 2025

Pre-Trial

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0017380

Initial registration date

December 02, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

December 05, 2025, 9:33 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Bangladesh

Region

Faridpur, Pabna, Rajshahi, Rajbari, Kusthia, Jhenidah, Magura

Primary Investigator

Name

MASUD RANA

Affiliation

Hiroshima University

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Niraj Prakash JOSHI

PI Affiliation

Hiroshima University

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2026-01-15

End date

2026-11-30

Keywords

Agriculture

Additional Keywords

Model Household Level Storage Technology, Weight Loss, Pathological Loss, Net Profit

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Onion farmers in Bangladesh experience substantial post-harvest losses due to traditional storage methods. The adoption of model household level storage (MHLS) technology and the User training program offers an adaptive and practical solution to reduce losses, maintain quality, and stabilize income. Hence, understanding the impact of such technology and knowledge on improving farmer welfare is essential. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Model Household Level Storage (MHLS) technology and user-focused training programs in reducing storage-related losses and improving market outcomes for onion producers in Bangladesh. To rigorously assess the intervention’s impact, we conduct a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (CRCT) across selected onion-producing areas. Clusters are randomly assigned into three groups: Treatment (T1): Farmers receiving MHLS Technology; T(2): Farmers receiving structured training on proper MHLS use, sorting, drying, and basic storage practices, Treatment (T3): Farmers receiving both the T2 intervention and additional labor support for onion drying, grading, and temperature monitoring, Control group (1): Farmers without MHLS Technology; Control Group (2): Farmers with access to standard practices, receiving no new intervention. The study's primary outcomes include Storage Pathological loss (%), Physiological Weight Loss (%), Storage Duration (days), Net Income from Stored Onion (BDT), Sales Frequency (times), and Average Market Price (BDT/kg).This study aligns with national policy goals (NAP 3.3.15.1-2018, NAMP 4.5.1-2023) and SDG targets (SDG 2.3, 12.3). Findings will inform government strategies on post-harvest loss reduction, and market access improvement. The evidence will support effective design and scaling of farmer-centered adaptive storage innovations across Bangladesh

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

JOSHI, Niraj Prakash and MASUD RANA. 2025. "The Impact of Model Household Level Storage Technology and User Training Program on Storage Losses and Marketed Outcomes: Evidence from Onion producing areas in Bangladesh." AEA RCT Registry. December 05. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17380-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Interventions

Intervention(s)

T1=The Model Household Level Storage (MHLS) system is a farmer-level onion storage unit designed to reduce post-harvest losses by maintaining a controlled environment using locally available, low-cost materials. This initiative was taken in 2021 under the Development of Onion and Garlic Preservation System Modernization at Marketing Activities at Farmer Level project, led by Department of Agricultural Marketing, the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh. We will cover the MHLS technology that intervention distributed from March, 2026 based randomly selection of open circular.
T2: Farmers receiving structured training on proper MHLS use, sorting, drying, and basic storage practices,

T3: Farmers receiving both the T2 intervention and additional labor support for onion drying, grading, and temperature monitoring

Intervention Start Date

2026-02-01

Intervention End Date

2026-03-25

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Storage Pathological loss (%), Physiological Weight Loss (%), Storage Duration (days), Net Income from Stored Onion (BDT), Sales Frequency (times), and Average Market Price (BDT/kg).

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

T1=The Model Household Level Storage (MHLS) system is a farmer-level onion storage unit designed to reduce post-harvest losses by maintaining a controlled environment using locally available, low-cost materials. This initiative was taken in 2021 under the Development of Onion and Garlic Preservation System Modernization at Marketing Activities at Farmer Level project, led by Department of Agricultural Marketing, the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh. We will cover the MHLS technology that intervention distributed from March, 2026 based randomly selection of open circular.

T(2): Farmers receiving structured training on proper MHLS use, sorting, drying, and basic storage practices,

Treatment (T3): Farmers receiving both the T2 intervention and additional labor support for onion drying, grading, and temperature monitoring
Control Group 1=Farmers those who applied and passed but not selected will consider as Control Group 1
Control Group (2): Farmers with MHLS technology but receiving no new intervention.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Lottery at MHLS technology Distribution and MHLS cluster by MHLS ID through randomization done in office by a computer

Randomization Unit

MHLS at Inidvidual Level

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

Cluster at Village Level T1=MHLS Technology 100, C1=200 Without MHLS Technology

Cluster at MHLS Level Treatment Group-2=170 Cluster [Model Household level Storage House], Treatment Group-3=
170 Cluster [Model Household level Storage House, Controlled Group2=170 Cluster [Model Household Level Storage House (Each MHLS user number =minimum 1 farmer, maximum 3]

Sample size: planned number of observations

525

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Cluster at MHLS Level Treatment Group-2=170 Cluster [Model Household level Storage House], Treatment Group-3=
170 Cluster [Model Household level Storage House, Controlled Group2=170 Cluster [Model Household Level Storage House (Each MHLS user number =minimum 1 farmer, maximum 3]

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Hiroshima University, Japan

IRB Approval Date

2025-06-03

IRB Approval Number

HR-LPES-002944

Analysis Plan