Agriculture entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Davidorlar Nigeria Limited, Mr Segun Alabi, has raised fresh concerns over the scale of post-harvest losses in the country, estimating that Nigeria forfeits between $9 billion and $10 billion worth of agricultural produce every year.
Speaking during an interactive session with House of Representatives correspondents at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Monday, Alabi urged the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, and Environment, to intensify efforts toward revitalising the agricultural sector as a pathway to tackling unemployment, food insecurity, and poverty.
According to him, current assessments indicate that 30–50 per cent of Nigeria’s annual agricultural output is lost after harvest. He noted that losses in fruits, vegetables, grains, and other perishables—caused by poor harvesting techniques, inadequate storage, inefficient transportation, and limited processing capacity—continue to undermine farmers’ earnings and weaken national food supply chains.
“Nigeria, despite being one of Africa’s largest agricultural producers, struggles with high levels of post-harvest waste every year.
“These losses translate into billions of dollars in economic value that evaporate before produce reaches consumers. This affects farmer livelihoods, constrains food availability, and slows economic growth,” he said.
Alabi called for stronger investment in modern storage and processing facilities, stressing that cold-chain systems, silos, and decentralised processing centres are essential to extending the shelf life of perishable crops while enabling value addition.
He also highlighted the need for improved rural roads and logistics networks to ensure the timely movement of produce from farms to markets.
He advocated targeted training for farmers on harvesting, handling, and storage techniques, as well as the promotion of affordable preservation technologies such as solar dryers and mobile processing units.
He added that supportive government policies—particularly those that encourage private sector investment in agro-processing and waste-reduction initiatives—remain critical.
The PUNCH
