Online Reporter
Patience Maturure
Agriculture Reporter
Rising temperatures being experienced across the country are taking a toll on fresh produce, with massive losses being recorded at markets.
Knowledge Transfer eMukumba chief executive Dr Charles Dhewa said there is need to collect perishable goods on the brink of spoilage and transport them to warehouses for processing or redistribution.
“We see the heat is causing a lot of losses, especially in fresh commodities. The hotter it becomes, the more losses we incur.
“We have Geo Pomona moving around the city collecting garbage. Similarly, we should have an organisation that moves around collecting food before it gets bad than waiting for food to become garbage, then collect it and convert it into energy,” he said.
Dr Dhewa suggested that organisations such as the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA should be equipped with trucks that move around collecting food nearing spoilage and transport it to warehouses or factories for recycling into canned goods.
Such an initiative would reduce waste and promote food security.
“There is a missing institution in our agricultural sector that should have trucks collecting food, buying food, moving around the country and making sure that farmers receive better income,” he said.
The country, he said, is producing abundant food, including grains and livestock, but is lacking a reliable market.
“Given the private sector’s financial constraints, the Government should utilise revenue from mining, roads and other national income sources to purchase surplus food, thereby reducing losses and avoiding future imports,” he said.
