ActionAid, Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), and the CAADP Non-State Actors Group (CNG) Press Conference on Post-Harvest Losses Reduction in Nigeria

Speech Delivered at the Press Conference Organised by ActionAid Nigeria in Collaboration with the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), and the CAADP Non-State Actors Group (CNG) on Post-Harvest Losses Reduction in Nigeria

With President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency on the food security situation in the country in July 2023, one of the key areas for quick wins and results for our food and nutrition security is to focus on reducing our alarming post-harvest losses. 

Postharvest losses is one of the foremost challenges faced by smallholder farmers especially women in communities in Nigeria. It devastates our efforts and incomes, leaving us poorer and continues to hinder Nigeria’s food and nutrition security. Nigeria’s postharvest losses, which is estimated to be N3.5 trillion annually, means about N94.5 bn annual losses per 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) if shared equally, no State’s annual agriculture budget equals these massive losses. This is far more than each State and FCT’s annual agriculture budgetary allocation and spending. This also means that about 50% of production is lost to post-harvest losses in Nigeria which is 50% income losses for smallholder farming families despite other challenges they are faced with across Nigeria, especially for smallholder women farmers.

If nothing is done urgently, Nigeria cannot achieve food and nutrition security as smallholder women farmers access to processing facilities is only 26%, storage facilities only 18%, transportation only 10%, market access only 21% and trainings to reduce post-harvest losses only 39%. All these alarming level of access across the 36 States and the FCT[1]

Additionally, out of the 133 million Nigerians living in poverty, 106 million live in rural areas. Agriculture is predominantly rural, prompting the need to reconsider our public investments in this sector, specifically targeting smallholder farmers, especially women, to ensure we reach the actual smallholder women farmers effectively. Nigeria is part of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which should bring about economic growth and Nigeria’s economic growth has not been inclusive resulting to widespread and alarming poverty and inequality across the country. Economic growth can only be inclusive if it reduces both poverty and inequality, therefore if smallholder women farmers are to benefit from the implementation of the AfCFTA, trade barriers facing women must be dismantled through adequate public investments in agriculture especially in Post-Harvest Losses Reduction Supports (processing facilities, storage facilities, trainings, market access, etc.).

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. We need to urgently rethink our approaches in agriculture and rural infrastructures by deliberate investments in the agriculture sector.

2. The President and the State governors should take charge of the agriculture sector for our food and nutrition security by deliberate massive investments especially in post-harvest losses reduction.

3. The Federal and State Governments should concentrate on small cottage processing and storage facilities in communities based on different commodities to be owned operated, sustained, and expanded by smallholder women farmers cooperatives.

4. If the Federal and State Governments concentrate efforts on dealing with postharvest losses, they will be better positioned to raise their Internally Generated Revenue and contribute significantly to the growth of the economy.

5. Small cottage processing and storage facilities in communities, focused on various commodities, should be an effective approach to reducing post-harvest losses, especially in remote areas as the larger Staple Crops Agro Processing Zones (SCPZ) will not serve them.

6. The Federal and State Governments should investment massively in rural roads to support agriculture produce transportation and trade.

[1] Non-State Actors Value Addition Biennial Review Toolkit (NSAs VABKIT) Report by ActionAid Nigeria for the 4th Biennial Review Report 2023.