As Crops Rot, Farmers Lose: Why Storage & Logistics Hold The Key
FOR years, Nigeria’s agricultural policy conversations have centred on increasing production—more hectares cultivated, higher yields per acre, expanded input distribution. Yet, across the country’s crop and livestock value chains, stakeholders warn that the most damaging losses occur not in the field, but after harvest.
Weak storage systems, fragile logistics networks, limited processing capacity and rising operational costs are steadily eroding farmer incomes and undermining national food security. The result is a painful paradox: even when production improves, much of the value is lost before food reaches consumers.
The Hidden Drain on Farmer Incomes
Post-harvest losses remain one of the most persistent structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s food system. From grains to vegetables, poultry to cotton, farmers frequently see a significant portion of their output wasted due to spoilage, poor aggregation systems and inadequate access to markets.
Austine Gbenga Adeniba, Chief Operating Officer of Eliakim Integrated Services Limited, notes that inadequate cold storage facilities and poor rural road networks mean large volumes of perishable produce—especially fruits and vegetables—never make it to urban markets.
“These losses directly affect both food availability and farmers’ earnings,” he explains.
The challenge is compounded by high production and logistics costs. Fertiliser, agrochemicals, diesel, electricity and transportation expenses remain elevated, squeezing farmers’ margins. Anibe Achimugu, President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), says that even in seasons of improved yields, farmers struggle to retain value because storage and aggregation systems remain underdeveloped.
Without structured post-harvest systems, many farmers are forced to sell immediately after harvest at depressed prices, triggering cycles of low income and price volatility.
Infrastructure Gaps and Market Instability
Across value chains, stakeholders agree that Nigeria’s storage and logistics infrastructure falls far below the requirements of a modern agricultural economy.
Prince Oyewumi Oyetunde, a livestock sector stakeholder, emphasises the need for expanded investment in silos, cold storage facilities and efficient transport systems—particularly for perishable commodities.
Improved infrastructure, he argues, would significantly reduce waste, stabilise supply and increase rural incomes.
Similarly, Ado Sule of NACOTAN stresses that stronger aggregation systems and modern storage facilities are critical to stabilising markets. Without them, seasonal gluts and shortages persist, contributing to price instability and food inflation.
Within the poultry industry, the case is equally urgent. Sunday Ezeobiora, President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), highlights the importance of cold chain logistics in the broiler segment. According to him, investments in processing plants and cold storage would help reduce losses and ensure a steadier supply of meat to consumers.
Value Addition as the Missing Link
Beyond storage, limited processing capacity remains a major constraint. Many farmers continue to sell raw commodities rather than higher-value processed goods, limiting income potential and export competitiveness.
Oyewole Okewole, Senior Associate Consultant at FutuX Agri-consult Limited, argues that Nigeria’s agricultural priorities must shift decisively toward value addition, post-harvest handling and supply-chain development.
“Addressing these gaps is essential to reversing the losses that weakened Nigeria’s comparative advantage across key value chains,” he says.
Targeted support for enterprises involved in storage, processing and export-oriented agribusiness, he adds, would help reduce waste while raising farmer incomes.
Financing Constraints
Despite the urgency, investment in post-harvest infrastructure remains slow. Stakeholders cite limited access to affordable capital as a major barrier.
Achimugu points to tight monetary conditions and high benchmark interest rates, which have constrained financing for storage facilities, mechanisation and processing plants.
These financial limitations, he warns, restrict both public and private investment, leaving critical infrastructure gaps unaddressed.
A Call for Structural Reform
As climate change continues to pose production challenges, stakeholders insist that Nigeria cannot secure its food system without fixing what happens after harvest.
Agricultural transformation, they argue, must go beyond boosting output. It requires coordinated aggregation systems, modern storage facilities, functional logistics networks and expanded processing capacity.
Until those systems are strengthened, Nigeria’s food security gains will remain fragile—and much of the nation’s hard-earned harvest may continue to rot before it reaches the table.
