Grain dryers to be used by the FG of Nigeria to reduce post-harvest losses.
The equipment will meet some of the needs of Nigerian farmers, according to Mustapha Shehuri, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, who opened the facilities at the Project Coordinating Unit offices of his ministry in Abuja.
He declared that the grain dryer deployment, which was currently in the Federal Capital Territory as a trial project, would be repeated in all 774 Local Government Areas across the nation.
But Shehuri urged the manufacturers of the facilities to provide more inexpensive, smaller devices for Nigeria's small - scale farmers.
“This is right step in the right direction, smaller technologies of this nature should be provided by the manufacturers, as 90 per cent of farmers in Nigeria are smallholder farmers. So we want machines that individual farmers can acquire,” he stated.
The opening of the multiple grain dryer, according to Frank Kudla, director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services, was done to support their efforts.
“It will contribute to a better livelihood for smallholder farmers and will significantly enhance food security across the country. Post harvest losses are the measurable reduction in quantity and quality of farm produce that make the commodity unfit or inadequate for consumption.” Kudla stated.
He claimed that the FMARD's mission of ensuring national food and nutrition security will be greatly aided by the implementation of the equipment, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
References
Punchng, 'FG deploys grain driers to tackle post-harvest losses' (online, 2022) <https://punchng.com/fg-deploys-grain-driers-to-tackle-post-harvest-losses/>.
