Daniel Atori
In a bid to strengthen rice post harvest handling practices and to boost competitiveness across Niger and Kaduna States, farmers, aggregators, processors, and other market actors have been trained on how to reduce post harvest losses.
Making this known, the Program Coordinator and Resource person from Niger Foods led technical team, Engr. Bashir Khalil Tanko said participants were taken through three core modules covering the causes of post harvest losses and early handling, key processing techniques, and storage with quality assurance, including knowledge dissemination strategies.
In the one day capacity building workshop organized by Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company Limited in partnership with AGRA at the company’s head office, the organizers noted that the initiative contributes to building a more efficient and resilient rice value chain in Nigeria, particularly at a time when food security concerns remain pressing.
The workshop with the theme “Profile Market Actors and Training on Post Harvest Handling” brought together farmers, Aggregators, processors, and other market actors to equip them with hands on skills for reducing post harvest losses and improving rice quality along the value chain.
Other Resource persons, Balogun Oluwaseun Abdulakeem Project manager and Babakeke Muhammed, lead Research Data Analyst emphasized modern threshing and drying methods, best practice storage systems, and quality control measures.
The event provided an interactive platform for practical demonstrations and discussions, enabling stakeholders to strengthen their skills in post harvest management.
One of the participants at the training session, the Women Leader of the Tinubu /Bago Ruga group, Hauwa Mohammed expressed her appreciation for the training, noting that she had gained valuable knowledge.
She further pledged on behalf of the group to step down the training to other members to ensure wider impact.