Agriculture Minister Says Poor Storage, Flooding Cause $10bn in Annual Post-Harvest Losses

According to Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, post-harvest losses from flooding and inadequate storage total $10 billion a year.

On Monday, Kyari gave a speech at the opening of the Green Legacy Rural Community Agriculture and Infrastructure Network (G.R.A.I.N) pulse center in Kangire.

The loss is also a result of climate change, soil degradation, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient processing, and unpredictable rainfall, according to the minister.

Smallholder farmers grow 70% of the nation’s food, thus Kyari claims that empowering them will strengthen the economy.

Nigerian agriculture accounts for almost 24% of the country’s GDP, he said, with smallholder farmers producing the majority of the food produced there.

“The full wealth of our land and people can be unlocked by providing smallholder farmers with modern tools, technology, and markets,” Kyari stated.

Nigeria’s food systems would be strengthened and made more resilient to post-harvest losses thanks to private sector-driven initiatives, the minister said.

Across the whole agricultural value chain, he said, the pulse center will serve as an integrated center for rural development, infrastructure, and agriculture.

As the backbone of the country’s change, Kyari reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is prioritizing agriculture and that its goal is supported by concrete measures.

The foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, also spoke and praised the creation of these hubs in Jigawa’s rural villages, highlighting the value of public-private partnerships in development.

Tuggar stated that Nigeria would gain from this microeconomy due to its many benefits, especially the incorporation of contemporary facilities and technologies.

For making food security a top priority in their development strategy, Tuggar praised Tinubu and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.

In addition, Namadi praised the Jigawa pulse center, stating that it will strengthen Kangire’s economy and show how agriculture-led development can improve rural areas.

The center’s solar-powered system and digitally connected hubs that support the entire agricultural value chain are among its characteristics, he emphasized.

The governor declared that his government would keep making agriculture a top priority in order to improve livelihoods, build infrastructure, and generate jobs.

Muhammad Uba, the chairman of the Birnin-Kudu LGA, where the center is located, praised Namadi’s attempts to modernize Jigawa agriculture and voiced support for Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.