THE HONOURABLE MINISTER AND THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PAID A VISIT TO NSPRI
On Tuesday, 15th September 2020, the Institute Zonal Office in Kano received the Honourable Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mallam Sabo Nanono on an unscheduled visit. He was received by three members of the IMC who were on another official assignment and the zonal coordinator with some principal officers of the zonal offices.
Also on Friday, 18th September 2020, Dr. Muazu AbdulKadir, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development paid a visit to the Insitute.
The Permanent Secretary, while addressing the management of the Institute, noted that Nigeria was losing billions of naira annually to post-harvest losses of various farm produce due to lack of well-equipped storage facilities. He said over sixty percent of tomatoes, onions, cashew, mangoes, oranges, and watermelon, among others harvested in Nigeria, are lost after harvesting. The Federal Government is working round the clock to address the problem, to allow the country to maintain food sufficiency. He calls on stakeholders in the agricultural sector to collaborate with the government by coming up with modern scientific approaches to curbing post-harvest losses.
Dr. Muazu AbdulKadir praised the foresight of NSPRl in the preservation of farm produce, fabrication of farm implements, storage facilities, and ensuring reduction of post-harvest losses of farm produce, as a priority. He said the ministry would continue to give necessary assistance within the available resources to NSPRl, to meet its mandate in farm produce storage and other agricultural activities.
The Executive Director, Dr. Patricia O. Pessu, explained various interventions currently being embarked upon by the Institute to curb post-harvest losses. Executive Director appealed to the ministry to assist the institute in the realisation of its objective at curbing post-harvest losses, to create employment for the teeming unemployed, and further boost the national economy. She called on the Federal Government to allow NSPRl to be represented in the intervention committee related to food security. Dr. P. O. Pessu requested that the ministry give intellectual property rights to agricultural researchers, as a way of encouraging them to do more at ensuring food preservation.
The permanent secretary later inspected the laboratories of the Institute and its fabricated farm implements with storage faculties.
