Stakeholders in the cold chain industry have stressed the need to adopt cold chain infrastructure to help transform Nigeria’s food system in driving growth in the agricultural sector and instigate effective policies to address the issue of post-harvest losses affecting food security in the country.
They made this call at the third West Africa Cold Chain Summit and Exhibition (WACCSE) co-hosted by Fair Trade, adding that post-harvest losses have significant nutritional, health, and financial impacts for both consumers and farmers.
A cold chain system is a management process for perishable products that need refrigerated temperatures to maintain quality and safety from end to end. It involves performing a chain of tasks to prepare, store, and transport products in the cold supply chain.
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It is used to maintain quality via a desired low-temperature range and to extend shelf life of perishable products, such as fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen food, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products.
President, Organization for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), Alexander Isong, disclosed that his organization is advocating for the reduction of post-harvest by introducing and supporting the use of cold chain which has to be an integral part of farming.
He emphasized that there is no country in the world that has a good economy that does not have a good cold chain existing in their ecosystem, adding that post-harvest losses is not just a crop thing, as it affects dairy, pharmaceuticals and other sectors.
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Managing Director, Fairtrade, Paul Marz, urged the country to process more of its perishable commodities while noting that Nigeria can be agriculturally self-sufficient but needs the right technology to produce high quality and reduce post-harvest losses.
Akinsola Akeredolu-Ale, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Lagos Commodities & Futures Exchange said if the country does not handle its post-harvest losses, the country cannot stabilize and grow its agriculture.
