Senate Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions Chair Tasks NSPRI and other Relevant Agencies on Postharvest Solutions to Food Losses

The Senate Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions chairman, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire has tasked Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute and other relevant agencies on postharvest solutions to food losses in Nigeria. The senator while speaking through the vice chairman of the committee, Senator Titus Zam Tartenger at the 1st Postharvest Connect Conference and Exhibition held at NAF Conference Centre, on 18th-19th April, 2024 in Abuja organised by Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI),titled: Scaling Appropriate Postharvest Solutions for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security” said the conference was a clear commitment and rare event to Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

 The gathering brought together key stakeholders, especially NSPRI’s partners to tackle the pressing issue of postharvest losses in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN), calls the stakeholders and key actors in Postharvest loss prevention to action, while emphasizing the urgent need to combat food losses and enhance food security in the country. He emphasized on the crucial role of agricultural colleges and institutions in driving innovation and knowledge dissemination to mitigate postharvest challenges. According to Adegbonmire, good food is anything that provides nutrient and energy for growth whether in humans, animals or plants. He noted that the unfortunate global food shortage has not only resulted in hunger, malnutrition, stunted growth, but also diseases, and even deaths. Adegbonmire added that securing enough food to make it physically and economically available is needed to provide nutrients and energy for an active lifestyle has now become a global call. He emphasized that Agricultural practices do not only provide food, raw materials for industries, national revenue, foreign exchange through trade, but are also a source of livelihood.

 Adegbonmire was quoted as saying “In recent times, so many livelihoods suffer so many challenges which have now resulted in food insecurity, stressing that the importance of legislative support and policy frameworks in facilitating the implementation of effective postharvest solutions was significnt. He emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector to develop and deploy innovative technologies and practices. He further noted that as a result of high level of food losses and wastages, NASS has tasked the relevant agencies to forestall the menace of food losses that has strengthened the importance of this national conference and exhibition which showcases some postharvest technologies in small, medium and large scales. Representatives from NSPRI and other relevant agencies presented research findings, case studies, and best practices in postharvest management, shed light on emerging trends and opportunities for intervention. As stakeholders departed with renewed commitment and a shared sense of purpose, the momentum generated by the Senate Committee’s initiative promised to catalyze meaningful progress in the fight against postharvest losses. According to Adegbonmire, “our focus on postharvest solutions to food losses reflects a concerted effort to address one of the most pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Through collaborative action and strategic engagement, the stage is set for transformative change, paving the way for a future where food losses are minimized, and food security is safeguarded for generations to come” Adegbonmire said.