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The Global Alliance for Improved
Nutrition (GAIN ) has initiated the Post -
harvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition
(PLAN ) to proffer appropriate solutions
to reducing high postharvest losses
caused by lack of functional cold chain
system and inappropriate packaging of
perishable produce in the country .
At the Nigeria Cold Chain Summit
(NCCS) 2017, held at the Renaissance
Hotel , Ikeja, Lagos, in September ,
themed: “ An Environmental Enabler for
Reducing Postharvest Losses , Improving
Nutrition and Economic
Diversification,” stakeholders
brainstormed on solutions to the
menace, especially losses incurred
during transportation of perishable
produce, such as fresh fruits and
vegetables.
Key discussions at the NCCS 2017
focused on : the current status of the
cold chain industry in Nigeria ; the
importance of the cold chain as a
catalyst and driver for achieving
reduction in postharvest losses ,
improved nutrition and food
security ; benefits cum advantages of
using plastic crates in place of woven
(raffia ) baskets; and need for the
transition support through legislation ;
and initiation of the formation of a cold
chain business association for the
development of the cold chain system .
Others include , outlining of the
untapped business opportunities in the
cold chain sector (Food , Pharma and
Healthcare ) and initiation of B 2 B
networks for sustainable business
growth and development ; stimulation of
local and international financial
institutions to invest in local cold chain
businesses; advocacy on the need for
cold chain equipment to benefit from
the import waivers granted agricultural
equipment; and highlighting the
importance of conducting a national
cold chain mapping of Nigeria to
determine current storage capacity and
required actions for improvement .
In her welcome address , Senior
Technical Specialist , GAIN , USA , Roberta
Lauretti- Bernhard, said PLAN was
created in response to countries that
have malnutrition , as well as a
postharvest loss problem . “ Postharvest
loss is also nutrition loss. So a platform
was drawn that is a combination of the
private sector , government and
institutions that have a strong objective
of ending not just postharvest loss, but
malnutrition .”
She said “ GAIN ’s interest in Nigeria
stems from her high malnutrition
burden and also high incidence of
postharvest loss in fruits and vegetables ,
thus leading to loss of micronutrients . It
happens in many countries of the world,
as well as in the United States , where
there are cases of malnutrition , as well
as people who are obese and at the
same time nutrient deficient. ”
In her keynote presentation, Director
General/ Chief Executive Officer , Federal
Institute of Industrial Research , Oshodi
(FIIRO ) Professor (Mrs .) Gloria Elemo,
said it is very important that the food
security of this nation is put in place in
a sustainable way .
Elemo said Nigeria has mostly fresh
fruits and vegetables production in the
North and the commercial centre in the
South , but the means of transportation
to the consumers is the problem , as
about 50 per cent of these fruits and
vegetables are lost before reaching
customers due to bad packaging and
poor postharvest handling .
Senior Project Manager , PLAN Nigeria ,
Dr. Augustine Okoruwa , who provided a
brief introduction of GAIN and the
PLAN project , said the primary
objective of PLAN is to ensure
coordinated actions among the
stakeholders for reduction of
postharvest losses .
“ We looked at the fruit and vegetable
supply chain and identified three
intervention points along the value
chain : Cold Cain Storage & Logistics ;
Crating and Packaging , and Proximate
Processing. The first anchor we started
with is the cold chain storage and
logistics , which informed the cold chain
diagnostic studies of selected
businesses.”
Source:mosyloaded
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