Gota

Gota is traditional grain storage structure that is normally kept inside the house or just abutting to the outer wall of the hut. It is constructed from rings made of mud-straw mixture and stacked one above the other. The rings can be added or removed depending on the quantities of grain to be stored or withdrawn. After filling in the grain the Joints between the rings are plastered with cow dung and the top is closed with a lid. It commonly holds 5-8 quintals of grain although it can sometimes be made as large as to contain 15 quintals of grain or more. Gota is mainly used in the northern parts of Ethiopia.

Gotera

Gotera is a general term, for all grain storage structures that are kept outside the house. These structures, depending on the tradition of the farmers and availability of materials in the locality, are found in most of the rural areas of the country where cereal crop production is dominant. Gotera can be made from woven bamboo, Feed, branches of trees and other plant materials. They are generally baskets with more or less a round base resting on a stone or a small platform and supported from all sides with twigs. The top of the gotera is covered by thatched roots that can be lifted whenever the need arises to take out grain or to fill it.

Maize Cribs

Maize cribs is a kind of ” gotera” that takes a form of a cylindrical upright structure resting on a platform supported by 4 or several wooden legs. This structure is made of materials found around the locality and these include: bamboo, reed, or small branches of trees. Maize crib is covered with thatched hat-like roof and its sides are not plastered with cow dung or mud. Maize crib is mainly found in the Central Rift Valley, the South, the South West and Western parts of the country.