Farmers proffer solutions to tackle Nigeria’s $10bn annual post-harvest losses

Some farmers in the country have proffered workable solutions to address Nigeria’s growing post-harvest losses estimated at $10 billion annually.

The farmers proffered the solutions in separate interviews on Thursday in Lagos. Nigeria loses an estimated 30 to 50 per cent of its total annual agricultural output to post-harvest losses.

The losses, estimated at approximately ₦3.5 trillion annually and roughly $3.7 billion to $10 billion, are primarily driven by poor storage, inefficient transportation, and limited processing capacity.

The most affected post-harvest loss crops include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, and tubers.

An agricultural analyst and crop farmer, Omotunde Banjoko, identified good roads, unified taxation, and proper storage facilities as key to tackling post-harvest losses in Nigeria.

The secretary-general of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Femi Oke, noted that farmers must collaborate with the government at all levels to address the growing post-harvest losses rate in the country.

“Farmers also need to be trained and retrained on better measures to preserve the approaches and prevent post-harvest losses.

We need to equip our farmers with the necessary information to cut down these losses in the country.
“The federal government should engage more extension officers to help farmers navigate areas where they can reduce post-harvest losses of their produce,” he said. (NAN)