The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) may be ready now to rise up to the challenge in the effort to fight food insecurity in the country. This is because the institute has announced that it will develop a technology to reduce post-harvest losses in agriculture. This is what the institute, which changed its name at independence in 1960 from the West African Stored Products Research Unit, WASPRU, had been expected to do for a long time.
But with the prevailing situation in the country, where the global food insecurity is biting hard, the decision by the institute to stem the tide of post-harvest losses is a welcome development. The decision is coming at a time the country is under pressure to meet up with the pledge at the Malabo Declaration, by African Union (AU) member states to halve post-harvest food losses by 2025. The NSPRI disclosed that Nigeria has an estimated N3.5 trillion post-harvest losses and it is dedicated to deploying technology in reducing it this year.
The Chief Executive Officer of NSPRI, Prof Lateef Sanni stated this at a one-day stakeholder meeting in Abuja, which centered on the Provision of Postharvest Technology to Small Scale Farmers and Processors. Sanni called upon farmers and processors to adopt innovative technologies aimed at decreasing postharvest losses and boosting agricultural productivity adding that the reduction of post-harvest losses would enhance food security and increase farmers’ incomes.
Not only that, it will also produce post-harvest agricultural technologies to reduce food loss with improved storage and transportation and processing to increase shelf-life.
“The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) wishes to popularise user-friendly post-harvest solutions in key agro ecological zones of Nigeria,” Sanni said. To popularise user-friendly postharvest solutions in key agro-ecological zones of Nigeria, NSPRI is considering a multi-faceted approach that involves awareness-building, training, collaboration with stakeholders, and the development of accessible tools and technologies. He explained that NSPRI was focused on developing low-cost, locally adapted postharvest technologies such as improved storage structures, moisture meters, solar dryers, and hermetic storage media to protect grains from pests and moisture, reducing post-harvest losses. He stated that the reduction of food loss and waste is vital for the enhancement of food security and nutrition.
He pointed out the pressing need for contemporary interventions to resolve postharvest challenges in Nigeria. To address this issue, NSPRI has developed solutions including the Parabolic Shaped Solar Dryer (PSSD) and small-scale silos with capacities of two and five tonnes, tailored for the needs of small-scale farmers and processors.
