The Nigerian Stored Produce Research Institute (NSPRI) has called for all hands to be on deck to reverse the trend of annual 40 per cent post-harvest losses, by investing in storage facilities and cold chain hubs across the country.
The Executive Director NSPRI, professor Lateef Sanni, made this call in Lagos, nothing that the country required nothing less than 300 cold chain hubs (storage facilities) across the 774 local government areas, to reduce post-harvest losses to the barest minimum.
According to him, a minimum of 10 cold chain hubs was needed in each of the 774 local government areas to reduce post-harvest losses, lamenting that currently, there were less than 10 cold chain hubs, which represented less than one per cent.
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“We have cold chain hubs in this country that people can take carrots and other food produce to and store till the next day with as little as N500. We have close to 10 cold hubs, but they just started, they are just about five to seven years in the country.”
“I am calling on the private sector to take advantage of that opportunity and invest in these cold chain hubs to reduce our post-harvest losses. That is my own drive now; my drive is private sector driven to reduce post-harvest losses from 40 per cent on our agricultural produce to the barest minimum,” he said.
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Professor Sanni while calling for collaboration and partnership between the research institutions to address food insecurity in the country, disclosed that his institute and its partners would convene the first ‘Post Harvest Connects’ conference from 18 to 19 April in Abuja to address post-harvest losses, calling
He commended Mr President for putting priority on storage, and thanked Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition as a major sponsor, as well as appreciated Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, and the private sector for their supports.
