Experts in Nigeria's agricultural sector have identified inadequate cold chain and poor road infrastructure as major contributors to post-harvest losses in the country. According to them, a reliable system linking farms to markets would help extend the shelf life of fruits, reduce post-harvest losses, and provide farmers and traders with more time to market their produce. This, they say, can be achieved through investment in rural roads, decentralised cold storage, transportation, and market facilities.
Adebowale Onafowora, Managing Director of BIC Farms Concept, emphasized the importance of cold-chain infrastructure in reducing post-harvest losses. He suggested that solar-powered walk-in cold rooms at rural collection centres, refrigerated transit, and temperature-controlled terminal markets are essential components of an effective cold-chain system. Onafowora noted that cold storage can slow down the respiration process, extending the shelf life of fresh produce from days to weeks.
Onafowora stressed that infrastructure development must go beyond the provision of cold rooms, noting that better roads and functional post-harvest logistics are equally important. He advocated for decentralised solar cold rooms, particularly at rural collection centres, to create a more functional cold-chain network. This, he believes, would reduce the pressure created by the rapid deterioration of fresh produce and give farmers and traders greater flexibility in handling and marketing their commodities.
Prince Oyewumi Oyedele Oyetunde, Editor-in-Chief of Farmers Choice Magazine, also highlighted the importance of storage, refrigeration, pre-cooling, packhouses, and transportation in a functional post-harvest system. He noted that improved infrastructure could significantly reduce post-harvest losses and give farmers and traders more time to sell their produce. However, Oyewumi cautioned that cold storage must be suitable for the particular fruit being handled.
Oyewumi called for infrastructure to be complemented by training, approved technologies, food-safety education, and effective enforcement. He emphasized that a holistic approach is necessary to address the challenges facing Nigeria's agricultural sector. Oyewole Okewole, Senior Associate Consultant at FutuX Agri-consult Limited, also stressed the importance of a consistent cold-chain infrastructure from the farm to the market.
Okewole noted that the right cooling temperature for perishable foods such as fruits can reduce deterioration and extend the shelf life of produce. He called for strong food-safety governance, including monitoring of chemical usage, market surveillance, traceability, and enforcement against the use of prohibited substances. Okewole believes that a combination of infrastructural development, food-safety regulation, awareness, and proper extension support for farmers and food producers is necessary.
The stakeholders' suggestions are aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and improving the livelihoods of farmers and traders in Nigeria's agricultural sector. By investing in cold-chain infrastructure and improving road networks, the country can reduce the pressure on farmers to sell their produce quickly, improve price negotiation, and allow produce to move from areas of abundance to deficit markets where it is needed.
Key points
- Improving Nigeria's cold chain and road infrastructure can significantly reduce post-harvest losses.
- A reliable system linking farms to markets would help extend the shelf life of fruits and provide farmers with more time to market their produce.
- A holistic approach combining infrastructural development, food-safety regulation, awareness, and proper extension support for farmers and food producers is necessary to address the challenges facing Nigeria's agricultural sector.
