Nigeria loses 60% of agricultural produce, says ex-UK scribe

 

The President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, David Miliband, has said Nigeria loses 60 per cent of its agricultural produce due to a lack of storage and agro-processing facilities.

According to him, this is one of the major factors affecting food security in the country.

Speaking at an event organised to address climate change, food security, and malnutrition in Abuja on Friday, he noted that the situation could be compounded by the climate crisis.

Miliband also attributed the hike in prices of food to the war in Ukraine, noting that the increase in prices was the major reason many in Nigeria and other parts of the world could not afford their food.

He said, “There’s a global food system. And many of you will know that the war in Ukraine has driven up the price of grain around the world. And pushed malnutrition numbers up and we’ll come back to. It’s pushed up prices. The war in Ukraine has also pushed up energy prices, and energy prices feed through into food prices.

“That’s one of the reasons so many more people can’t afford their food.  60 percent of the agricultural products that Nigeria produces don’t reach the market. In other words, they don’t find their way from the farmer to the shop or the production venue, and then to someone’s plate. So food systems are global, but they’re also hyper-local as well, and they’re much affected by the climate crisis. One of the most interesting studies we’re doing, not in Nigeria, is about how you strengthen seeds for a much drier climate. That’s climate adaptation. ”

Miliband noted that with the insecurity ravaging the northern part of the country, Nigeria risks being listed as one of the “climate-vulnerable” countries.

“There are 16 countries that suffer from conflict and are in the most vulnerable quartile, 25% of countries when it comes to the climate crisis. These are countries that are suffering from internal conflict and they are climate vulnerable. They’re countries like Sudan and South Sudan.

“They’re countries like Yemen and Afghanistan. But there are also countries like Nigeria, which is one of the countries listed. It’s a highly climate vulnerable country, and it’s a country which in the north has suffered recently its conflict.”

Source: Punch Newspapers