Association of Food and Agro-processors (AFAP), have called on the Federal Government to save food processing sector from collapse, imploring government to beam its searchlight on the processors, especially the Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs).
The National President, AFAP, Duro Kuteyi made this known while speaking with journalists about the need for government in the sector, noting that governments talk about the big industries but the food processors which are mostly SMEs are being neglected as not much is said about the sector.
AFAP is a body of professionals and entrepreneurs coming together to reduce post-harvest loss of agricultural products as well as to promote the growth and development of the business of food processing in Nigeria and beyond.
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Kuteyi disclosed that one of the challenges of food processors is inadequate raw materials to guarantee all year round processing, adding that processors need to be taken care of by the government in terms of strategic grain reserve, stressing that most of them are using grains to process consumable foods.
“Supposing these people are regularly supplied with grains, they will continue with their business life and a lot of people will be kept in their employment.
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“Government has a lot of grains in their reserve and these grains they need to turn into nutritious food like combining sorghum and soya, maize and soya and the likes that could take care of the daily balance diet.
He recalled how the government was deeply concerned about tomato wastage, that it was the SMEs that came to the rescue by designing a program about training on how to process tomatoes and called it proximate processing which is to process close to the farm.
