From Our Readers

I read with interest your interview with Mr. Paul I. Anza on page 22 of your January 4, 2018, edition, in respect to palm seedlings. Kindly furnish me with the contact of the man.

Kevin D. Damogor, Abuja Answer

We will seek his permission for that and once granted, his number will be sent to you.

Editor Deplorable state of storage facilities in FCT

Farmers and marketers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are not comfortable with the inadequate preservation and storage infrastructure for their commodities. Large quantities of harvested crop produce are thus never consumed or used and most farmers are under compulsion to sell their products quickly due to the perishable nature of some of them. Recent survey in the territory indicates that produce such as vegetables, roots, tubers and grains suffer losses as high as 50 per cent, 30 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. In Giri, Abuja, for instance, marketers of garden egg and water melon complained of up to 35 per cent spoilage before finally selling them off or discarding them.

In a survey recently carried out in Gwagwalada, Abuja, only 6.40 per cent, 5.05 per cent and 3.20 per cent of the marketers have access to refrigerator, warehouse and cold room respectively. The Purdue Improved Crop (PIC) storage hermetic triple bag (Plate 5) recommended for beans and other grains storage are inadequate. The bags are known to be easily accepted by farmers, as it is effective for insect pest control and can be used for three to four years before they become damaged.

Dr. Anjorin Toba Samuel, Head of Department, Crop Protection, University of Abuja, Abuja

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