Post-harvest losses a threat to food security

Andrew Muvishi Herald Reporter
Government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture industry to prioritise reduction of post-harvest losses and ensure national food security.

This came out at a post-harvest losses workshop organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) yesterday.

Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement director of economics and markets Mr Clemence Bwenje challenged stakeholders in the agriculture sector to work towards reduction of post harvest losses and also to prioritise productivity.

Post-harvest losses occur between harvesting and consumption.

They include on-farm losses, such as when grain is threshed, winnowed, and dried, as well as losses along the chain during transportation, storage, and processing.

“Post-harvest food losses are a real threat to household and national food and nutrition security. They represent a loss in consumption, loss in revenue and loss of profitability for farmers” said Mr Bwenje.