Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) has started the distribution of storage facilities to five pilot states of Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Edo and Delta.
This was disclosed at the distribution event on Wednesday in Kwara State by Mrs Patricia Pessu, the Executive Director of the Institute. She statedthat the gesture was aimed at adding value and boosting the socio-economic development of farmers in the benefitting states.
According to her, the agency has the mandate to conduct researches, build capacities and disseminate research output on post-harvest management of locally produced agricultural crops.
She explained that the facilities distributed included improved post-harvest technologies like smoking kiln, ice fish box, and hermetic steel drums, among others.
Mrs Pessu stated that the facilities would improve the post-harvest handling and safety of agricultural commodities in Nigeria, noting that the smoking kiln is an efficient technology for drying fish and meat.
“The use of NSPRI smoking kiln ensures high-quality products with permissible polyaromatic hydrocarbons”, she said, while describing the icefish box as a cold chain technology developed for the extension of the shelf-life of fresh fish.
“It is (also) an effective means of handling fish for transportation, distribution, and marketing.
“NSPRI hermetic steel drum is an airtight technology developed by NSPRI for non-chemical preservation of dried crops products, including grains, pulses, roots, tubers, fruits, vegetables, fisheries, and livestock,” she added.
Mrs Pessu disclosed that the NSPRI Steel Drum can be used at household and small-scale storage levels.
Also speaking, Mr Saba Gideon-Issa, Kwara Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, commended the institute for distributing the storage facilities, advising farmers to make judicious use of the facilities as ”this will add value to their agricultural endeavours.”
Mr Issa also admonished them not to hoard the equipment but to put them to good use for the benefit of the general populace.
