NISPRI Lists Challenges Of Food Storage

Determined in checking the unnecessary wastage of food and crops in the country, the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NISPRI), has said that it gives its storage facilities free of charge to members of the public.

The officer in-charge of NISPRI in Rivers State,  Mr. Robert Simon who stated this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent over the weekend said “we make it available for them so that they would know what efforts we have made in respect of storage of food, vegetables and fruits in the country.”

He explained that as long as funds were at the body’s disposal, it was the organisation’s responsibility to make such products available to the interested public.

He further said that in cases were NSPRI lacked funds, individuals in need of such products could liaise with NSPRI and the products could be produced for the public interest.

According to the NISPRI boss, one  of the challenges facing it was money as the organisation relies on subvention from the federal government to run their operations.

Mr. Simon who is an expert in food preservation said even in the area of partnering with individuals and corporate organisations, the  problem of lack of funds still comes in.

He said another major challenge facing the organization was how to reach people at the rural areas of the country.

“We need money to enable us travel around especially to the rural areas were the terrain is challenging” he said.

He said over the years, the organisation has made tremendous progress especially given the meager resources at its disposal.

He said the organization was still very much ahead in research to ensure that its mandate of food preservation, storage and processing among others was taken to the next level.