Assessment of storage structures for some staple crops in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Increased post-harvest losses of staple crops due to poor handling and inadequate storage facilities have become a concern to stakeholders in the Nigerian Food Industry. Storage structures available for some staple crops in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, were assessed. Questionnaires were administered to one hundred and fifty respondents randomly selected from a pool of farmers, processors, and marketers in the study area. The study also examined the physical state of some of the available storage facilities to ascertain some challenges limiting their usage and recommendations made on measures to address the concerns. According to the survey, 50% of the respondents used sag bags for storing maize for domestic consumption and marketing, while 29% preferred plastic containers. Less than 10% of the respondents agreed to the use of enclosed rooms and lamented changes in the physical outlook of the crop at the point of marketing them due to poor aeration. Findings revealed that materials for developing storage structures for products such as cassava and cocoyam were sourced locally. Rewetting of stored products, mold, microbial infestation, and theft were some identifiable challenges associated with using plastic containers as storage mediums. The lack of awareness on the part of farmers, poor maintenance culture, non-conformity of some of the storage structures with the environment, poor funding for the development of the structures based on available local materials, inadequate supervision, and misuse of the structures were some of the factors identified as challenges towards effective utilization of storage structures in the study area. The use of rodent glue, adequate fumigation, and efficient crop drying before storage are some of the measures that could help reduce the rate of post-harvest losses of stored agricultural products. The provision of silos and other modern storage structures in strategic farm locations and the upgrading of existing structures could also enhance the storage of agricultural products and value addition.