Okwe Obi and Mark Blessing, Abuja
The Federal Government, on Wednesday, brainstormed on palliative measures to introduce to reduce post harvest of crops like yam, beans, cassava and potatoes across the country.
Director General of Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Prof. Olufemi Peters, disclosed this at the First West and Central Africa Post-Harvest Congress and Exhibition with the theme: ‘Upscaling of Post-Harvest Activities in West and Central Africa,’ in Abuja.
Prof. Peters disclosed that the country loses billions of Naira every year without the commensurate inputs of farmers due to Post-harvest crops damages.
He, however, attributed the lack of exposure to the use of local technology and insecurity as some of the causes.
“The essence is to find policies to be able to expose ourselves to local technology and also able to share experiences, partnership, research with those in most African countries like Ghana and Togo.
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“Within the first three days that we have, we need arrive at a solution in West and Central Africa countries.”
Meanwhile, Team Leader, Green Innovation Centres for Agriculture and Food Sector in Nigeria (GIAE), Baba Ashimara, advised farmers to seek modern information so that they will understand how to cater for crops.
Ashimara also noted that farmers should see farming as a business that required the use of modern techniques that would not only increase yield but would be impactful and protect the environment to avoid abuse of the chemicals.
“Abuse can be dangerous to the environment leading to the poisoning of the food,” he added.