A professor of agricultural economics and farm management, Faith Ibrahim, has urged the federal government to invest in and subsidise cold-chain infrastructure to help local farmers tackle post-harvest losses.

Ms Ibrahim of the School of Agricultural Management and Extension Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, made this call in an interview with journalists on Friday in Lagos.

She alluded to the almost non-existent cold-chain infrastructure in the country while appealing to the government to intervene to cut down post-harvest losses.

“Cold chain is usually nonexistent beyond major cities here in Nigeria. We need decentralised solar-powered cold rooms at collection points, mobile refrigerated transport units, and cold storage hubs at wholesale markets to holistically address post-harvest losses we currently face.

“The government needs to subsidise cold-chain infrastructure, and making refrigeration affordable for smallholder associations should also be looked into to address these challenges,” Ms Ibrahim said.

She noted that the availability of cold-chain infrastructure would help preserve high-value perishable crops.

“When we prioritise the preservation of high-value perishable crops like tomatoes and peppers, among others, we will be able to cut down the losses in the sector due to post-harvest deficit.

“When we start with high-value crops like tomatoes, peppers and leafy vegetables, where losses exceed 50 per cent, we can cut down the losses in the sector

“This would be a needed area to push for cold rooms and cold storage points that will facilitate long life for these perishables,” Ms Ibrahim said.

She suggested a public-private partnership with technology providers for cold storage solutions.

“It is expected that the government and even the private sector can push for a partnership with technology providers who will offer a pay-as-you-go system of cold storage solutions.

“We also need to provide training and retraining programmes on cold-chain management and standardised temperature protocols for different crops, which should be communicated to the cold storage business network,” Ms Ibrahim stated.

(NAN)