The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu
Ogbeh, has said Nigeria produce more food than the people can consume.
He stated that a huge chunk of the food got wasted due to
poor storage facilities across the country.
He stated this yesterday while flagging-off the Nigeria Yam
Export.
Speaking at the event, Ogbeh pointed out export as one of
the ways Nigeria can prevent food wastage, lamenting the country’s poor
preservation capacity.
He also stressed the need for Nigeria to begin to earn more
foreign exchange by exporting yam.
According to him, “there is really no shortage, new yams
will be here in two weeks. The old stock is still there everywhere and people
in the market are getting worried that new yams will come and nobody will touch
the old ones.”
“We actually over produce food here (in Nigeria), 30% to 40%
of some of the food we produce is wasted because of poor preservation
capacity,” the Minister stated.
By Chijioke Jannah
