FG Distributes Processing and Post-Harvest Equipment in Nasarawa to Reduce Food Waste

News in brief:

-FG rolls out processing and post-harvest equipment in Nasarawa to curb waste and deepen market participation in rice and cassava value chains.

-Intervention aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and NATIP to boost rural employment, productivity and national food security.

The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of processing and post-harvest equipment to farmers and agribusiness groups in Nasarawa State as part of efforts to reduce food losses, strengthen rural enterprises and improve value addition.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, launched the initiative during a two-day working visit to the state, describing it as a targeted intervention under the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).

Targeting Post-Harvest Losses

Kyari stated that the equipment would support enterprise growth, deepen farmers’ participation in structured markets and expand opportunities for rural employment, particularly for women and youth.

The programme, implemented in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, is designed to address structural bottlenecks in the rice and cassava value chains through integrated investments in production, aggregation, processing infrastructure, market access and institutional strengthening.

He noted that the intervention aligns with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), which prioritises modernisation, competitiveness and private-sector participation in agriculture.

By improving processing capacity and storage systems, the government aims to reduce post-harvest losses, a persistent challenge that erodes farmer incomes and undermines food availability.

Aligning with Renewed Hope agricultural reforms

The minister underscored the programme’s consistency with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which positions agriculture as a vehicle for food security, job creation, and macroeconomic stability.

According to Kyari, agriculture must deliver measurable outcomes, including improved food supply, increased rural incomes, and expanded employment for young people.

He described Nasarawa State as a leading example of subnational alignment with federal agricultural transformation efforts, citing initiatives such as the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company and the One-Stop Investment Centre as measures strengthening the state’s investment climate.

Federal/State Partnership Driving Rural Growth

Kyari commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for prioritising large-scale cultivation and supporting domestic food production, noting that such efforts help stabilise prices, conserve foreign exchange and generate employment.

He pointed to tangible outcomes of the federal–state collaboration, including functional aggregation centres, modern processing facilities and stronger producer organisations capable of linking farmers to markets.

In a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Information Department, Mr Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the minister said the interventions are stabilising rural incomes and reinforcing Nasarawa’s contribution to national food security objectives.

Boosting Competitiveness and Rural Enterprise Development

Governor Sule, in his remarks, affirmed that the state had aligned its agricultural policies with the Renewed Hope Agenda to drive economic diversification and wealth creation.

He noted that reforms in the sector are expected to empower women and youth farmers, raise productivity levels and expand internally generated revenue.

For stakeholders in the rice and cassava subsectors, the deployment of post-harvest equipment represents a shift from primary production to value-chain competitiveness, a transition considered critical to reducing waste, improving product quality and strengthening Nigeria’s food system resilience.