WE PRODUCE MORE FOOD THAN PEOPLE CAN CONSUME IN NIGERIA - MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh has said that Nigeria produces more food than people can consume.

He said that much of the food is wasted due to poor storage facilities across the country.

He declared this yesterday while marking the blackout of Nigeria's Yam export.

Speaking at the event, Ogbeh pointed to export, as one of the ways in which Nigeria can prevent food waste, lamenting the poor preservation capacity of the country.

He also stressed the need for Nigeria to start earning more foreign exchange through the export of yams.

According to him, "there is really no shortage, new yams will be here in two weeks. Old stocks are still everywhere and people in the market are worried that new yams will come and no one will touch the old ones."

"We actually produce food here (in Nigeria), between 30% and 40% of some of the food we produce is wasted due to poor preservation capacity," the minister said.