Nigeria recently commemorated the world food day which was dated for the 16th of October this year. Among the various events organised to mark the day when the United Nations founded the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945, Nigeria participated as usual with an event to showcase the achievements of the government, but what should have been the target message is how to address food preservation and food wastage in the country.
One of the challenges Nigeria grapples with in the Agricultural sector is significant food wastage and innovative food preservation techniques. This is however a vital solution to ensure food security and sustainability. With nearly 40% of agricultural produce lost post-harvest due to inadequate storage and preservation methods, the need for effective strategies has never been more critical.
Food loss in Nigeria is attributed to several factors, including poor infrastructure, lack of access to modern preservation technologies, and inadequate training among farmers. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Nigeria loses about 1.3 million tons of food annually, impacting the livelihoods of farmers and contributing to food insecurity.
A food and nutrition specialist at the FAO, Ibrahim Ishaka recently told the News Agency of Nigeria that about 50% of agricultural produce is lost in the food supply chain. While this figure is huge considering that Nigeria cultivates only 44% of its arable land despite its over 70.8 million hectares, this leaves over half of its estimated 233 million people in hunger.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdulahi, had commented at a ministerial briefing marking the world food day, that much had been achieved in the sector due to policy initiatives and funding from the federal government.
The event themed “The Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future” might just be a meiosis of the reality in the country. While he notes the significant achievement of Nigeria in 2017 in cassava and yam production, we no longer live in those times. The reality of the agricultural sector is that all areas face huge setbacks and the major one is the lack of innovative preservative techniques.
It is not surprising that China who cultivates only about 10 per cent of its arable land is the world’s largest food producer. This is only possible with vibrant technology-driven agriculture operations and a dynamic value chain. This are activities that should be emulated by Nigerians.
Speaking with Mrs Hussaina, a vegetable seller in Kaduna, she says the cost of vegetables have increased tremendously and everyday she prays to get a lot of customers because she doesn’t have any preservative techniques for her goods. She only buys the quantity she would sell for the day, and any day she doesn’t get customers to buy all her goods, she takes them home for consumption or packs them for the next day.
Mrs Fatima, who is a housewife, says that she stores all her perishable food items in a fridge or freezer. Though she loses some of her groceries if not properly attended to, since she buys her food fresh she has to prepare it or risk it going to waste. She admits to having little knowledge on storage techniques as she only trusts her freezer to not perish her food items.
Yunusa, a farmer in Kogi state says they plant crops during its season and store in bags to sell when they become scarce. That is why some seasonal crops are expensive during some period and relatively affordable during others. It is because they don’t have enough storage facilities to store those produce in large quantities pending when they would not be available. They can only store what they can preserve.
Nigeria needs to re-evaluate its agricultural sector with more efficient policies and programs. If they need to hire experts or emulate other countries like Japan, India, China, Kuwait and Belgium who have developed a sustainable agricultural practice, then it is important we do so.
Nigeria’s dependence on importation of food even with the availability of land is as a result of lack application of available knowledge on techniques, use of local implements, lack of exploration of other fields in agriculture and poor safety of farmers. It was surprising to Nigerians that they depended on war torn Ukraine for poultry feed as Ukraine was the worlds highest exporter of wheat!
Also, food transporters complain of high unofficial levies and taxes paid to sundry security agents, a development that ultimately drives up the cost of food items. Either we come up with a better way to transport food, or ensure such extortion is permanently stopped.
Some of the Innovative solutions in ensuring food safety through food preservation methods are solar drying or dehydration; fermentation; cold storage solutions; and improved packaging. Of course for these methods to be implemented and feasible, government agencies need to intervene and provide well managed facilities for its farmers.
The government needs to recognize the importance of food preservation in its agricultural policies. Programs aimed at training farmers in modern preservation techniques should be rolled out, alongside investments in infrastructure to improve supply chains. Community initiatives, such as cooperative groups, also play a crucial role. By pooling resources, smallholder farmers can access better preservation technologies and share knowledge on effective practices.
As Nigeria continues to face food security challenges, the adoption of innovative food preservation techniques offers a beacon of hope. By reducing food waste and enhancing storage capabilities, these strategies not only support local farmers but also contribute to a more sustainable food system. As the President has already experienced 2 hunger protests in one year, it is imperative he acts in collaboration with the state governors and local government chairmen efficiently to avoid a third in his tenure.
