Agriculture
‘Electricity, Bane Of Food Preservation Research’
The officer in-charge, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, NSPRI, South-South and South Eastern states of Nigeria, Mr Simon Robert says that inadequate supply of electricity was a major factor militating against progressive and sustained research into food preservation and storage in the country.
Mr Robert who stated this in an exclusive interview in his office recently in Port Harcourt with The Tide explained that although emphasis was now placed on crude oil for the economic needs of the country, some Nigerians were still into agriculture.
He said unfortunately these farmers who were mainly from the Northern part of the country and partly from the middle belt, South West, South East and South South were faced with problems of preservation and storage of their harvested crops.
He explained that this situation has often led to food wastages occassioned by pests insects moulds and crude methods of transporting food items from one region of the country to the other items from one region of the country to the other.
According to Mr Robert who is an industrial chemist, the mandate of NSPRI was to device ways and means toward the effective preservation and storage of all kinds of crops and vegetables for their availability at any given time of the year.
“And so what we do here is to see that we preserve and store all these foods so that pests and other wastage of food in the society is prevented and controlled to make for food abundance in the society.
“At any given time in the season or in the year, to be able to have one commodity or the other, because there are some seasonal food like mangoes, pineapple, orange, all these things are seasonal” he explained.
He said that so long as farmers and market women and men adhere to the professional advice given to them by NSPRI, the likelihood of the availability of food all the year round could not be ruled out.
“But if you now preserve all these food items in the way we have adviced people to preserve them, we will be having all these things (food) available all the year round”, he counseled.
Mr Robert stressed that agriculture could not be separated from preservation and storage and warned that any venture into agriculture without consideration for preservation and storage was bound to fail.
He explained that it was due to inadequate application of preservation and storage methods that most seasonal foods like corn, oranges, tomatoes and their like were mass consumed at their season leading to scarcity of such products on the short run.
“Now we are all struggling to eat corn or maize. When you go over there they are roasting and cooking corn.
“So they have almost finished everything, then at the end of the day, the cost of corn will be very high.
“And you know, when the cost of corn becomes high, even to the poultry farmer corn will be high and this will certainly affect the price of chicken. These are some of the situations we in NSPRI are trying to reverse”, he added.
He listed some of the products available to farmers and traders to include, fish driver, which he said has the capacity of drying an average of six cartons of iced fish within an interval of three to four hours, plastic ventilated crates for transporting and storing perishable crops like tomato, oranges paw-paw and vegetables.
On the challenges facing the organisation, Mr Robert listed them to include in-accessable terrain of the riverine areas of the zone, inability of farmers to buy their own fabricated preservative items due to lack of funds and poor funding from government.
Also speaking, the agricultural extension officer, Mr Samuel Duru urged local government chairmen to avail themselves of the opportunity available by sending their staff for training in order to make the technology of storage and preservation get to the grassroot level.
If chairmen of local government areas in the state organize their people well, if will drastically reduce the wastages experienced at that level especially during seasonal harvesting of crops like corn, mango, pineapple and other agricultural products that were identified with the areas”, he added.
This the farmers attributed to inadequate pest control facilities, lack of in-depth managerial skills, crisis, Climate control and other factors.
These were the observations of the farmers during the training of 6000 Cassava farmers and facility tour both at Fashola Agribusiness hub and Iseyin.
The training was coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology (AATF) Foundation and National Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia state, funded by Germany based Foundation.
The project coordinator of AATF, Samuel Ogunleye said the training has benefited the farmers immensely.
According to him, ‘the training is designed to benefit 6,000 Cocoa farmers in the 33 local government areas of the state.
‘The programme was incubated in 2023 but inaugurated in 2024. The programme has taken place in Ido and Ibarapa areas with the training of over 1,200 farmers.
‘Today similar programme is taking place here in Iseyin with over 2,000 farmers in attendance.
Farmers are being trained on how to increase their output as well gets it to the market through modern technology.
‘In Iseyin, there is a modern Cassava processor machine aimed at easing the processes.
‘The local farmers have access to the processor at a subsidize rate. Also, the foundation is assisting them at getting their products to the market”.
In his own presentation, the team leader, National Root Crops Research Institute, Dr. Adeyemi Olojede said the training was designed to address the decline in the
production of Cassava nationwide.
He said: ‘The training is designed for the off season in order to allow active participation of farmers.
‘Some of the challenges confronting the farmers are tabled while the solutions are proffered.
On the issue of funding, the University don blamed successive administrations in the Country for paying lip service to the sector.
According to him, the Research Institutes in the Country have not been able to access the Budget in the past five years.
The researchers are using their personal contacts to access funds from local and international organization to carry out research.
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State Chapter, has lauded the Federal Government’s approval of 57 crop varieties to strengthen agricultural productivity in the country.
The Lagos State AFAN Chairman, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen, Wednesday in Lagos.
Reports said that in March 2026, the Federal Government approved 57 new improved crop varieties to boost food security, improve nutrition, and strengthen agricultural productivity.
The crops, selected for early maturity, higher yields, and resistance to pests and diseases, include 14 different types of staples, with notable advancements in rice, maize, yam, soybean, and plantain.
Agbayewa noted the approval of the crop varieties would help improve the yields of farmers in the state.
“We are excited to hear about the 57 new varieties of crops recently approved.
“What we desire currently in crop farming is not just about planting, it is about increased yield.
“A farmer can have a plot of land and have a high yield and another can have big plots of land and have a low yield.
“So, if when are talking about food security, it starts from the varieties you are planting and it starts from the seedlings”, Agbayewa said.
He described the introduction of the crops as a new development for crop cultivation.
“This newly approved 57 crop varieties should however be popularised among local farmers because not everyone is aware of this latest development.
“There are lots of issues currently affecting the cultivation of crops and the development of improved crop varieties will help the farmer’s productivity.
“Issues such as climate change effects, inconsistent rainfall patterns and weather clash among others are affecting farmers’ yield,” he said.
Agbayewa said there should be massive advocacy of the approved crop varieties across the board for farmers, adding, “The government is now waking up to their responsibility. So, we are”
The event, with the theme “Aligning Science, Enterprise, and Policy to Scale Insect-based Feed Solutions,” brought together policymakers, researchers, regulators, private investors, and BSFL farming entrepreneurs to map out strategies for integrating insect protein into Nigeria’s agricultural system.
According to him, black soldier fly larvae can feed on organic waste including market and kitchen refuse and develop into high-protein feed within 10 to 14 days.
“It contains about 40 to 45 per cent protein, making it a viable alternative to some protein source feed ingredients in poultry, fish, and pig feed ration if produced sustainably” he said.
Amole noted growing interest from feed manufacturers, stressing that supply, not demand remains the major constraint
“The question now is who can produce at commercial scale,” he added.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s comparative advantage, citing its tropical climate and abundant organic waste, which support year-round production without the need for expensive temperature control systems.
He however emphasised the need for standardisation to ensure consistency in nutrient quality and safety across producers.
Also speaking, a Senior Scaling and Innovation Expert from the institutes ‘headquarters in Nairobi, Dr. Ijudai Jasada, identified fragmentation within the BSFL value chain as a major barrier to scale.
“We need a coordinated system that connects all actors and reduces inefficiencies,” he said.
Stakeholders at the Roundtable reached a consensus that ILRI should take the lead in establishing and championing a national platform on BSFL.
Jasada said plans are underway to establish a national coordination platform to improve collaboration, attract investment, and support long-term growth of the sector.
He said the goal is to integrate insect-based feed into Nigeria’s mainstream feed industry by 2030, while creating employment opportunities for women and youth.
On capacity development, Prof. Cordelia Ifeyinwa Ebenebe of Nnamdi Azikiwe University acknowledged ongoing training efforts by development partners and institutions but warned that Nigeria’s regulatory framework for insect-based feed remains underdeveloped.
She noted that standards are still evolving and are expected to align with benchmarks being developed by the African Organisation for Standardisation.
Similarly, Prof. Olugbenga Adeniran Ogunwole stressed the importance of safety assurance and regulatory clarity, warning that policy gaps could hinder large-scale adoption.
He identified key challenges, including variability in nutrient composition, digestibility concerns linked to chitin content, and relatively high production costs.
A BSFL producer, Mr. Kolawole Ogunleye, said large-scale production remains difficult due to limited access to equipment, financing, and infrastructure, adding, “The process is labour-intensive, and most of the equipment is still imported,” he said.
From the private sector, Mr. John Amole, Country Representative of New Generation Nutrition (NGN), described insect protein as a growing but still underutilised solution in Nigeria.
He noted that although insect meal has been approved as a feed ingredient, it has yet to gain widespread market acceptance.
“There is interest, but the ecosystem is still developing, and there are no guaranteed off-takers,” he said.
Sharing international experience, Ms Talash Huijbers of InsectiPro, Kenya, highlighted the success of circular economy models that convert organic waste into protein and fertiliser.
The roundtable concluded with key recommendations, including the establishment of a clear legal framework for insect-based feed, financial incentives for startups, standardised substrates, integration into national waste management systems, and increased funding for research and extension services.