According to estimates from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, almost 40% of all fruits and vegetables in the whole of Africa are lost after harvest due to inadequate pre- and post-harvest handling methods. This is one of the most daunting challenges that Nigerian farmers face today.
Nigeria is experiencing an exorbitant yearly loss, resulting mainly from wastage of food and inadequate cold chain logistics. This prevailing adversity can be accounted for by lack of decent roads, as well as lapse in the preservation of the cold supply chain and disregard for effective cold chain management. Nigeria is a country blessed with a vast array of fruits, comprising pineapple plantain/banana, mango, papaya, tangerine, strawberries and large-seeded grapes, among other indigenous varieties.
That is why the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has launched a program focused on increasing yields of fruits and vegetables through incorporating technology, building business-to-business relations and improving the supply chain systems. The main objective of the program known as PLAN (The Post-harvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition) is to cut post-harvest losses and increase yields, profits and quality of the food, especially fruits focusing on tomatoes.
Source: environewsnigeria.com
