The Federal Government has lamented that Nigeria’s food security and sustainability are being threatened by high post-harvest losses.
The Director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services (FDAES), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Mr. Olawumi Ayodele, stated this in Ibadan during a training session on cassava cultivation and processing best practices for farmers in Oyo State.
The Director, who was represented by a Principal Agricultural Officer at the ministry, Mrs. Temitope Banjo, said that about 40% of Nigeria’s agricultural produce is lost after harvest due to poor handling and management practices.
Ayodele identified the causes of these losses to include poor agricultural practices during planting, crop management, storage, transportation, and marketing. “If we can drastically reduce post-harvest losses in Nigeria, it will strengthen food security, enhance sustainability, and improve farmers’ earnings and livelihoods”, he said.
He informed further that the essence of farming is not only to grow crops, but to improve farmers’ welfare and promote sustainable agricultural development, explaining that the training was designed to equip cassava farmers with the knowledge and skills to reduce post-harvest losses and promote food security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, the programme would also enhance farmers’ capacity in cassava cultivation while discouraging the use of harmful chemicals in cassava processing, adding that Oyo State was selected for the exercise because of its prominence in cassava production and its significant contribution to Nigeria’s agricultural output.
“The ministry is committed to promoting food security that ensures nutritional value, not food that endangers citizens’ health”, the he said.
The Oyo State Coordinator of FMAFS, Mr. Adetunji Samson, urged farmers to adopt innovative agricultural practices to minimise wastage and increase income.
Samson, represented by Chief Agricultural Superintendent, Mr. Oluwatoyin Adefeso, said the ministry would partner with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to educate farmers on the dangers of using harmful chemicals for crop storage.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Oyo State chapter, Mr. Adewumi Abas, said the training would help farmers embrace standard practices in cultivation, harvesting, and marketing.
At the end of the training, participants received sprayer equipment to support their farming activities and were trained by experts on how to control post-harvest losses.
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