A food Expert,Comrade Ugochi Uchenna, says effective food preservation remains one of the most strategic pathways to national transformation and Integration.
In an interview with Newsmen in Port-Harcourt, Comrade Uchenna warned that post- harvest losses, not just poor production, are among the greatest threats to Nigeria’s socio- economic future.
She stressed that Nigeria’s stability depends solely not only on cultural food, but on protecting it stating that When food is wasted, poverty increased.
“A nation that produces food, but cannot preserve it, is a nation preparing for a crisis. When food is preserved, peace is strengthened” She stated.
Comrade Uchenna argued that food preservation strengthens national resilience, reduces hunger-driven insecurity, promotes economic integration, and the prevention of rural poverty.
“Food security without preservation is like pouring water into a basket” She noted.
The food expert advocated urgent investment in food preservation systems, stating that safeguarding food production is critical to cultivating foods.
She explained that Nigeria’s development challenges are deeply tied to food loss across the value- chain, emphasizing that, true national security begins with food security, and food security begins with preservation.
Comrade Uchenna noted that many conflicts across the rural areas in Nigeria are indirectly fueled by scarcity created through waste.
She also called for: cold storage systems, rural preservation hubs, community-backed preservation infrastructure.
According to her, Preservation is not an agricultural issue alone; it is a national survival strategy.
Meanwhile, Comrade Ugochi Uchenna, has enjoined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors, stakeholders in the Agricultural sector, especially, farmers, market men and women, and other relevant government agencies saddled with the responsibility of preserving food for security reasons to ensure food safety.
She warned that prolonged instability in the sector as a result of poor preservation mechanisms could cause instability, noting that Rivers State Government(RSG) under the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, should follow suit for a healthy state and nation.
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