Experts urge Nigeria to improve on agric processing, storage

Experts, who participated in the recently concluded Ogun State Investors’ Forum, have jointly canvassed total reorganisation of the agricultural value chain in a way that accommodates improved processing capacity, storage capacity and preservation for agricultural produce in order to achieve full capacity utilisation and improved productivity.

Speaking at the forum concluded in Abeokuta last week, Atsuko Toda, country director, Int’l Fund for Agricultural Development, and Kenton Dashiell, DDG, partnerships and capacity development, IITA, said Nigeria, especially Ogun State might not maximise its agricultural potentials if there were no cogent strategies that could guarantee effective storage of produce.

Also, Segun Adewumi, chairman, Nigerian Growers Association, stated that lack of storage and preservation for agricultural produce, which has been the bane of optimal utilisation of produce and would continue to affect gross domestic product and value addiction if nothing tangible was done, just as Dhiman Anurag, managing director, Allied Atlantic Distilleries wanted government to improve on agro-allied intervention to small-holder farmers.

The experts, however, made recommendations which formed part of forum’s communiqué, saying “reorganise the agricultural value chain to improve processing capacity above 50 percent as well as warehousing. Market oriented strategies (with emphasis on value addition) along the value chain will boost activities and create markets at the same time.

“Set up silos for grains; however perishables like tomato, banana and other fruits would require more specialised structures. To boost rice production, government must provide mechanisms such as dams for irrigation and accessible roads. All these will be in addition to a created supply chain for the produce to excel.

“Government should provide incentives for private investors in the agro-business such as making land affordable at a cheap or at no cost to drive private investments towards the attainment of the agriculture and urban development mission of the state.”

Meanwhile, the host governor, Ibikunle Amosun has disclosed that the state has adopted agro-politan development strategy in order to increase agricultural productivity and to prevent rural-urban migration, saying “we adopted an agro-politan development strategy, thus making our state, the first in Nigeria to achieve this.

RAZAQ AYINLA