Gilbert Ekugbe
The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing post-harvest losses in the country, which is estimated at N3.5 trillion annually.
The Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Patricia Pessu, disclosed this at its special popularisation event for innovations and distribution of agricultural storage facilities to vulnerable women and youth in Ilorin recently.
According to her, courtesy of NSPRI Iced-Fish Box, Nigerian fish farmers and entrepreneurs can now preserve freshly harvested fish for up to 48 hours without spoilage, stating the move will help fish farmers and entrepreneurs have considerable time within which they can sell their fresh catch without the risk of spoilage.
The executive director further explained the iced-fish box was one of the many innovations, adding that feedback from users also indicated that it was considerably curbing spoilage occasioned by inadequate or poor storage facilities.
In her words: “We have also developed the NSPRI fish-smoking kilns, with which fish can be smoked in a convenient and healthy fashion.”
“This way, not only are fish farmers spared of the unnecessary labour associated with the traditional fish-smoking methods but in addition, export-quality fish is the end-product, as fish smoked using this method is not only uniformly dried but visually appealing in its golden-brown colour,” she added.
Pessu also divulged that the institution had developed Hermetic Steel Drums (HSD) and Inert Atmosphere Silos (IAS) for grains and legumes storage.
Another innovation, according to Pessu, was the parabolic-shaped solar dryer which said utilises sunlight to speedily and hygienically dry different products including vegetables, grains, yam and cassava chips among many others.
“Inaddition, the dryer hinders the penetration of harmful Ultraviolet radiation, helping to ensure that the products are not only safer but indeed more visually and commercially appealing,” she stated.
The NSPRI boss also disclosed that the scientists at the institute were aggressively investigating Environmental Cooling Systems (ECS) in the search for ways to preserve fruits over a longer-term.
She however pledged the institute’s continuous efforts to develop more innovations that will reduce post-harvest losses in Nigeria.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture (FMARD), Mr. Ernest Umakhihe, pointed out that effective management of agricultural harvests to prevent wastages IS critical to achieving national food security.
He said: “At the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, we recognise that poor post-harvest management has been a critical issue for many years in the agriculture sector and that it has severely hampered the productivity of farmers.”
Umajhihe, who was represented by the Director of Extension Services, FMARD, Mr. Frank Satumari Kudla, commended NSPRI for complementing the efforts of the federal government to empower farmers with the skill and wherewithal to enhance production.
He expressed delight at the array of displayed solution-oriented innovations at the event and urged the institute to quicken the pace of other innovations.
He also tasked the institute to ensure that it commercialized it products in a way that would make technologies affordable to small holder farmers.
