Resuscitate silos to curb post-harvest losses, farmers tell govt

Farmers in Ondo State have urged the federal and state governments to refurbish grain silos that have been underutilised for several years.
The Ondo State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), who also doubles as the State President of the Farmers’ Congress, Mr. Abayomi Monilari, told The Hope that the facility, once operational, was subsequently leased out but has not been used as intended.
“Our finding was that the lease was given to people from the North, and I haven’t seen them utilised it since then,” he said. “They are not using it.”
Monilari welcomed recent statements by the federal government about plans to resuscitate silos nationwide but urged the authorities to ensure that the facilities truly benefit local producers. “If it is done, it will be of great interest and benefit to everyone,” he said.
The chairman also emphasized that priority should be given to indigenous operators. He argued that state authorities should consider taking over the underutilised federal facility rather than building new ones. “If we have an existing one that is underutilised, why can’t they take it over and make use of it, rather than spending money on building another one?” he asked. “The money could be used to encourage farmers to produce grains to be stored in that existing silo.”
According to him, farmers across the state continue to rely on makeshift storage because there are no functional facilities or silos. “Some store produce in personal warehouses, but this has led to people disposing of their products instead of keeping them,” he explained, describing how the absence of secure storage forces early sales at lower prices and contributes to waste.
Despite these challenges, Monilari noted encouraging developments on the production side. Extension training on cowpea has prompted many growers to expand into the crop this year. “We gave them a series of training sessions on cowpea production. A lot of farmers have gone into cowpea production big-time. This will give us the opportunity to feed ourselves rather than sourcing food from outside the state,” he said.
On the effectiveness of state agricultural programmes, however, he was sceptical. When asked whether farmers were accessing government initiatives, he retorted: “Seeing is believing. What have you seen? Which one have you seen out of the programmes we are talking about?” He challenged officials to show tangible benefits to local farmers.
Also commenting, the Chairman of the Cassava Growers’ Association in Akure North Local Government Area, Mr. Tayo Abiodun, expressed disappointment over their inability to use the silo, which he said had been declared “not in order,” drastically affecting farmers and threatening food security. He said farmers opposed the approval given to northerners for storing beans in the facility, arguing that it should be reserved for those within the state.
“The silo has been left unused since then, and we are forced to sell off our produce cheaply to avoid spoilage and total loss of income,” he said. Abiodun, however, welcomed the federal government’s plan to resuscitate the silo and pleaded that the state government be given approval to manage it, allowing local farmers to benefit. He also appealed for government support on security, which he described as a major threat to farmers in the field.