Farmers Laud NSPRI Over Post-Harvest Loss Reduction

Some farmers at the
ongoing 2013 In-House Review Meeting of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin, have lauded the post-harvest loss reduction products of the institute.
In an interview with newsmen in Ilorin recently, they said that there had been minimal or no post harvest loss since the adoption of the institute’s drying products.
A fish seller, Mrs Memunat Adisa, said she had been in the fish business for 25 years but had not made profit till she started using NSPRI’s fish smoking kiln.
Adisa from Iliara village, Ilorin-West Local Government Area of Kwara, said that her usage of the kiln for three years had attracted more customers to her.
She said that she had made more profit because of the quality of dry fish she sold.
She said that she used to sell fresh fish at very cheap prices because of the fear of spoilage and loss.
Adisa said with the kiln, she only needed to smoke the fish for four hours and added that the product could last up to three months without the fear that it would spoil.
The fish trader, however, pointed out that the kiln could burn fish if maximum attention was not paid while smoking them.
Also, Mr Jimoh Ayinde, a farmer, commended NSPRI for the cassava processing plant made available to Iliara community.
According to him, the processing plant has boosted the production of cassava flakes, ‘gari,’ in the community and has also created jobs for some persons.
Ayinde said before the intervention of the institute, the villagers used to go to the markets to buy cassava flakes to resell.
“But now, we make our own flakes and other villages have been coming to use our cassava processing plant and they pay a token for the services,” he said.
“Before, we used to go to the market to buy cassava flour to resell and also pay for transportation and our feeding but now, there is nothing like that.
“We go into our houses to eat whenever we are hungry since we now make these flakes by ourselves in our homes,” he said.
The farmer also said that the adoption of the products had increased the popularity of the village, adding that the neighbouring villages had also benefited from the products.
The In-House Review Meeting is an annual event that provides a forum for scientists to discuss and exhibit the results of their researches.
The idea is with a view to ensuring that relevant technologies reach the end users in line with the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
It is also an avenue for stakeholders to brainstorm on the various ways to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure food security and sufficiency in the country.
The event has about 100 participants from research institutes, universities, Ministries of agriculture, Agricultural Development Projects and NGOs, farmers’ associations as well as agro-allied and chemical companies.
The theme of the meeting is “Food Preservation Research Transformation through Competitive Technology Development’’.