NIGERIA loses an estimated $9-$10 billion yearly to post-harvest losses, a crisis that threatens food security, weakens the economy, and wipes out nearly half of the nation’s agricultural output.
Chief Executive Officer of Davidorlah Nigeria Limited, Mr Segun Alabi, made the revelation yesterday during a press conference held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Alabi warned that unless urgent and coordinated measures are taken, the massive losses will continue to cripple the country’s agricultural sector despite its enormous potential.
He said his organisation — an agritech company focused on pineapple farming, concentrate production, and waste-to-wealth innovation— is ready to support national efforts aimed at curbing post-harvest wastage.
He added that Davidorlah Farms, the company’s flagship subsidiary, remains the largest pineapple farm estate in West Africa.
The CEO disclosed that Nigeria loses between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of its agricultural produce yearly due to poor handling, inadequate storage, inefficient transportation systems, and limited processing capacity.
“These losses undermine farmers’ livelihoods, reduce food availability, weaken our export prospects, and ultimately slow down national economic growth,” he said.
Alabi outlined several strategies capable of reducing post-harvest losses, including investment in modern storage and processing facilities such as cold chains, silos, and local processing hubs to extend the shelf life of perishable goods.
He noted that poor rural roads and weak logistics systems often damage produce before it reaches consumers, adding that training farmers on improved harvesting and handling practices is essential to reducing waste at source.
The chief executive also highlighted the benefits of technologies such as solar dryers, mobile processing units, and low-cost preservation systems.
He urged lawmakers to champion policies that encourage agro-processing and reward waste-reduction initiatives across the value chain.
According to him, reducing agricultural waste will boost marketable output, increase farmers’ incomes, enhance export potential, improve food security, and strengthen agriculture’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He explained that large-scale waste-reduction initiatives would create thousands of jobs in logistics, processing, storage management, technology manufacturing, and rural enterprise development.
Alabi added that minimising agricultural waste reduces environmental pressure, curbs greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances soil health through recycling and composting.
