Experts Advocate The Use Of Technology To Curb Post-Harvest Issues

Agricultural experts in the country have called for the use of the right policy and technology to curb post-harvest issues to boost food production and lower the prices of foodstuffs in Nigeria. The experts made this statement at a seminar on ‘Feed Up Africa’ which was held in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Having observed the wastages on farmlands and those wasted after production, which has greatly contributed to increasing prices of Agricultural produce and food shortage in the country, these experts, therefore, advocated for the use of technology to reduce these losses.

With the use of technology in the Agricultural sector, it will encourage food processing as these wastages on farmlands rather than being thrown away, will be processed into other products. It is therefore pertinent to say that one of the effective ways of ensuring food security in Nigeria, is for effective implementation of technological facilities, which will ensure that there is a drastic reduction of post-harvest losses.

According to statistics, Nigeria loses N3.5 trillion to post-harvest losses annually which is not good for the country’s economy. Some analysts have disclosed that problems such as inadequate storage facilities for harvest exist in the Nigerian agricultural sector because it has failed to evolve.

The problem of post-harvest losses poses serious implications for food security in Nigeria. In order to curb such losses, the government must ensure the establishment of farm produce processing industries and standard equipment which will ensure that there is efficient harvesting, handling, and sorting, application of non-toxic chemicals, improved storage systems, etc.

Also, cost-effective technologies can be invented as they will go a long way to stem the tide of available losses in the agricultural sector. One beautiful aspect of the use of technology is that it can efficiently preserve vegetables, grains, seeds, and other farms’ produce for a long duration, without damage.

For instance, countries in Southern Africa use maize as their staple food, and post-harvest maize losses significantly contribute to the region’s food insecurity. Therefore, to address the issue, some farmers in the region used “Purdue Improved Crop Storage” (PICS) bags to properly store their maize grain. This bag enabled the maize grains to have a longer shelf-life.

It is therefore pertinent for the government to properly introduce technological equipment that will aid farmers to limit post-harvest losses because such technologies can enhance the country’s food security.

Asides from the implementation of technologies, the government should also ensure to build standard roads, because due to inappropriately built roads, the process of transporting these farms’ produce becomes very long as some crops will begin to spoil before it gets to the market.

One negative impact of food security on the nation is that it causes malnutrition, especially in rural communities, and also leads to a huge loss of revenue which affects the country’s economy. Therefore the government must ensure the mobilization of human, technical and financial resources to enhance post-harvest losses management.