By Dipo Olowookere
Farmers in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to introduce measures that will put an end to post-harvest losses always experienced by farmers yearly in cash and food crops.
Making this appeal in Abuja, Technical Adviser of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Tunde Arosanyin, said the rate at which farm produces waste away because of poor storage system in the country.
He said this poses a great threat to the quest for food sufficiency and diversification efforts of government.
Dr Arosanyin said this “constitutes to about 30 to 35 per cent loss of farm produce that we laboured for.
“When you visit Kano, you will see a lot of tomatoes wasting away after four days of harvest. The same thing in the south: you will see banana rotting away.”According to Arosanyin, produce meant to be exported to European countries including perishable goods, are littering the ports because of the delay and poses serious losses to the owners.
“Our preservation and silo policies have to be reviewed urgently to save us the stress of counting our losses instead of gains.”
He urged government to allocate more money to agriculture sector in line with the Maputo Declaration.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka