Reversing post harvest losses |
The rate of post
harvest losses among farmers across the country calls for concern. A visit to
various food markets and even farms attests to this facts. It has been
estimated that about 60 percent of produce ends up being wasted. This a critical issue more so when Nigerians are
crying of hunger.
Today, bulk of the profit of farmers’ produce
are lost to post harvest challenges yearly, and there seems to be no solution
at sight and fear of spoilage made our farmers to sell their produce at a very
give away prices after losses incurred during harvesting on the farms.
President
Mohammadu Buhari at a function in Yenagoa when speaking during the Agip Oil
Company Farmers’ Day said that Nigeria loses $9 billion annually to post
harvest challenges which by implication cut across all the agricultural produce
be it livestock, food crops, fruits and vegetables without any tangible
solution at sight with the way things are going.
However,
many are of the contrary view saying there are other vital factors like rural
roads for evacuation to processing centres, lack of electricity for processing
into capacity, substandard processing equipment and manpower for the operation
and maintenance of these machines.
The question
is what do you do to change the situation? This is imperative because effecting
the necessary changes would create jobs, make food available for our growing
population, and provide foreign exchange for our use with farmers becoming
happier through higher income earnings.
In tackling
the problem, a committee of experts that will work in conjunction with the
Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Ilorin should be constituted to
take a wholesome look at the problem and proffer solutions.
In addition to this, efforts must be made to
make roads in rural areas, bring power supply close to the farmers in order to
enhance cold storage of produce and processing of the produce.
We cannot
pretend to ignore the fact that wastages is part of the reason we are importing
to meet up with the short fall of food requirement, and the time has come that
all what it takes must be given to ensure the operation of the cottage industry
to full capacity in its locations.
As food
import is being controlled passing through
the seaport, the proceed of this traffic must be well deployed to the
development of the processing facilities just as financial assistance of the Bank of Industry
must be intensified to meeting processors need.
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