Lanier: Mold, Pest Control Vital to Address Post-Harvest Losses and Boost Food Security in Nigeria

Now we talk agri-marters focusing on post-harvest losses as the Chief Executive Officer of Never Idle Farms and Consulting, William Lanier says mold and pest control are key components to manage post-harvest losses. He notes Nigeria needs to revise its strategy on soil degradation and water ecosystems to accelerate the country’s journey to food security.' We must applaud Minister Abubakari Kairari for illuminating the 45% post-harvest loss. It's definitely feasible to reduce post-harvest loss. It's not rocket science. All it takes is some focus away from enhancing production towards yield of nutrition that substitutes import. The reason this must be done, and focus requires focus, is that 45% equals the seed, fertilizer, mechanization and labor inputs that are lost feeding mold, insects and rats. And let's not forget the degraded soil and water ecosystems growing food that's never consumed. Punch Nigeria reports enhancing production has led to quick wins, such as the signing of off-take contracts that ECO from IFED suggests will require additional metric tons stationary warehouse silos for rice and maize. However, Nigeria's history of imports indicates that preventing pests challenges those stationary warehouse and silos. 45% annual loss indicates centralized storage is not cost effective means or feasible means to reduce post-harvest loss when inadequate field handling allows pests like mold to contaminate harvest. Exactly. Now, William, if I'm a button here, when we're now talking about how to holistic, holistically address these challenges, you've mentioned mold and also pest control. But when we come back home to the rural storage systems we have here, as well now the options for rural farmers, looking at the state of our current infrastructure, what do you think is feasible and what's not near term in terms of our infrastructure here to help manage post-harvest losses, prepare us better for better storage and also processing? Yes, David, the state of the rural storage is the problem. Whereas these special agro zones build more and more huge warehouses, it's the mold that begins to grow when condensation occurs in sacks of warm maize sitting on cool soil in the field. In the field is where the post-harvest loss starts. And until the problem in the field is addressed, when transport is scarce, that mold, condensation in maize or rice rot. Rot is a force of nature and can increase 10 times every three days while waiting for scarce transport or during poor rural storage. And the inevitable rejection disrupts the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers. So the minister's on the right track, but there has to be corresponding rural infrastructure to help the farmers interface with those huge warehouses and silos. Unless that mold is prevented, it's too labor intensive to monitor and manage that mold and insects in huge centralized storage. Lacking management, rot, insects and rodent pests inappropriately consume Nigeria's food security. Sure. And if you were to make recommendations now going by your experience and different case study you've been exposed to, if you were to make recommendations to the government now, what should be the near-term priorities at the larger central level and at a sub-national level? At those huge special agro-industrial zones, there needs to be some focus on how those farmers, how the rural farmers interface with those huge zones. Currently, lacking rural storage, the farmers have no option but to sign off-take contracts at harvest glut prices. Farmers selling highest quality for the lowest price does not guarantee surplus growers have the revenue to invest which is required to accelerate the agro-industry with raw materials. Where is all these raw materials coming from unless those farmers have the adequate infrastructure that meets their needs to deliver the raw product? So the recommendation, the minister of finance and especially the African Development Bank should look at yield of nutrition that substitutes imports and how the post-harvest and input loss reduction strategy will pay relatively insecure surplus growers who prevent mold by handling production correctly off the ground. Handling production off the ground secures yield of nutrition. That's what the agro-industry centres need, nutrition, raw nutrition and until scarce transport delivers that raw product to agro-industrial processing zone, the rural farmers have no incentive to manage their production for yield of nutrition. Yes, wrapping up the conversation now, I would also like to have your take because at this point in time food inflation still remains a major challenge for economies here in West Africa as well now. What's your take on how global food price movements are also filtering into for example the West African markets and how you see the situation get as we are gradually wrapping up the year? Well, it should be priority. Why invest in increasing production unless that production feeds people? The priority is a strategy and a strategy with the potential to transform would include infield handling assets and rural storage options that meet the farmers' needs. You can talk all you want about markets and food inflation. I think it's post-harvest loss inflation that's scaring investors away, scaring people who would like to process local food and instead they're forced to go to imports which is going to hurt the economies, drag the economies down.

The CEO of Never Idle Farms and Consulting, William Lanier says mold and pest control are key components to manage post-harvest losses. He notes Nigeria needs to revise its strategy on soil degradation and water ecosystems to accelerate the country’s journey to food security.

Lanier: Mold, pest control key to manage post harvest losses

The CEO of Never Idle Farms and Consulting, William Lanier says mold and pest control are key components to manage post-harvest losses. 

Lanier: Mold, pest control key to manage post harvest losses

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Lanier: Mold, pest control key to manage post harvest losses

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