Some farmers across Nigeria have suggested practical ways to reduce the country’s rising post-harvest losses, which are estimated to cost billions of dollars every year.
They shared these ideas during separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. According to reports, Nigeria loses between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of its total agricultural output after harvest. These losses are valued at about ₦3.5 trillion annually, or roughly between $3.7 billion and $10 billion.
The problem is largely caused by poor storage systems, weak transportation networks, and limited processing capacity. Perishable crops such as fruits, vegetables, and tubers are the most affected.
An agricultural analyst and crop farmer, Mr Omotunde Banjoko, pointed to bad roads, multiple taxation, and inadequate storage facilities as key drivers of the losses.
“Before now, we used to say Nigeria’s post harvest loss is estimated at about N3 trillion annually, but more recent reports indicate it is about N5 trillion annually. That’s a huge number and that calls for concern for everybody.
“We should look at where does these losses actually occur. It occurs most times because the farmers can’t even move out what they have produced on the farm to the nearest market or to the off takers in good time.
“The state of our roads is a major issue. Most of our farm roads are not good. So, if a farmer produces, no transporter is willing to go there to pick the produce. The ones that even try to pick the produce get stuck because of bad roads.
“We should look at both the local government, the state government and some federal roads. Roads connecting the farms, the production hubs. They don’t need to cost so much for funding, but they can be well graded.
“We need to have good roads so that easily we can move out the produce, the bad roads are a major constraint to resolving post-harvest losses in the country,” Banjoko said.
He also explained that delays caused by repeated stops on highways worsen the situation.
“Farmers face a lot of delays due to multiple taxations from security personnel on our roads.
“A truck of vegetables I was personally transporting to Lagos State from Ogun state was stopped by security personnel and we were delayed for more than a day.
“By the time they released my truck in the morning, I just told them to go and dispose of the vegetables because they had gone bad and no longer had the quality to be sold fresh in the market.
“So, we consider the multiple tax, and the frequent stops by local security agencies on the road; they frustrate a lot of farmers which in turn results in post-harvest losses we are currently dealing with,” he said.
Banjoko also emphasised the need for improved storage solutions.
“We also need adequate cold chain storage facilities in our markets to address post-harvest losses.
“Most markets and off takers don’t have adequate storage facilities or handling equipment that can hold these things fresh for a longer period.
“So, we also have to look at the quality of the processing facilities or holding facilities that we have in our market to be able to hold this produce fresh.
“There are cooling trucks that can be provided to keep agro-produce fresh from the farm gate to the market and the ultimate consumer. There are also mini cooling trucks that can be provided.
“To address our growing post-harvest losses, as a nation, we should start looking at the aforementioned factors both as government and as private investors,” the expert said.
In addition, the Secretary-General of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Femi Oke, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between farmers and government authorities.
“What we have seen mostly as a cause for the increasing post-harvest losses we are experiencing is the negligence on some parts of farmers and the government on preservation of our agriproducts.
“We have concerns over the post-harvest losses of most of our agro-produce and we need to preserve, because mostly we hardly preserve our harvests.
“For example, over the years, we have spoken about the disadvantage of using rafia baskets to transport tomatoes from one part of the country to another but still in 2026 the same baskets are still being used.
“They are unhygienic and definitely farmers face huge losses every time they are used except we adopt government and the farmer’s research institute approved crates we may continue in this loss,” Oke said.
He further called for improved grain storage systems and farmer education.
“The government also needs to reconstruct our silos for preservation of grains so we can increase our food reserves and prevent food shortages due to post-harvest losses.
“Farmers also need to be trained and retrained on better measures to preserve the approaches and prevent post-harvest losses. We need to equip our farmers with the necessary information to cut down these losses in the country.
“The Federal Government should engage more extension officers to help farmers navigate areas where they can reduce post harvest losses of their produce,” he said.
