HOW NIGERIA CAN PREVENT ITS ANNUAL N3.5 TRILLION POST-HARVEST LOSSES.

 

HOW NIGERIA CAN PREVENT ITS ANNUAL N3.5 TRILLION POST-HARVEST LOSSES.Nigeria has good agricultural potential but is not living up to expectations. The country houses an enormous human capital, most of whom are young, and arable land, with only 41 per cent cultivated yet. From one end, the country’s agricultural prowess and feats are laudable. 

Nigeria is a top global exporter of agricultural production, such as palm oil, sorghum, sesame, cocoa beans, oil, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The Federal Government recently disclosed that the total cost of post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s agriculture industry is N3.5 trillion. 

Yes, a whooping N3.5 trillion. Speaking on behalf of the FG, Mustapha Shehuri, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, “Post-harvest losses is a worrisome situation that threatens Nigeria’s Food Security … In fruits and vegetables, it could be as high as 50 – 60 per cent if poorly managed, unfortunately not much attention is paid to address this problem as it is done for production,” 

 This is too much loss for a country where agriculture is a core contributor to its GDP and has a projected population of 400 million. In that light, there is an urgent need to prevent people from going hungry, support farmers from losing monetary gains, and reduce our dependence on foreign products. 

 These can only be achieved through a couple of actions, the first being to make provisions for good storage facilities. While agricultural products are perishable, their production is usually seasonal, mainly because farmers in this part of the world rely on rain-fed agriculture. But, regardless of the perishable or seasonal nature of produce, the demand for food is not seasonal. In Nigeria, about 47 per cent of farmers have zero access to any storage facilities to shield them from post-harvest loss. The number could rise up to as high as 60 per cent for tubers, fruits and vegetables. 

The provision and revitalization of efficient storage facilities, whether on an industrial or small-scale, is essential in mitigating post-harvest loss.

Monkeypox can persist in household environments, according to CDC study.

 

Monkey pox can persist in household environments, according to CDC study. The zoonotic monkey pox virus (MPXV), which is endemic to Africa, is typically transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or animal or through the inhalation of infected respiratory secretions. 

 Infection with MPXV often leads to the development of lesions with exudates that contain viable virions that can be shed during infection. As compared to other enveloped viruses, MPXV virions are more tightly bound with the fibrin matrices of the scab/crust, thereby allowing for them to persist within the environment for longer periods. 

 A recent study conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases assessed the viability and viral load of MPXV on household objects and surfaces. Samples were collected from frequently used objects in the household of an individual who had been infected with MPXV. 

This sampling was conducted 15 days after the infected individual had left their home to be admitted to the hospital. These samples were then incubated to allow for virus isolation and the detection of viable viruses. Importantly, any potential contamination with bacteria or fungi was prevented by treating all incubated samples with penicillin/streptomycin, amphotericin B, and gentamicin.

Monkey Pox:CDC recommends masking despite evidence that its sexually transmitted.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study Friday suggesting that people wear masks to protect themselves from monkey pox despite growing evidence the virus is transmitted sexually. The CDC’s Friday Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), its internal journal, included research on the spread of monkey pox via contaminated surfaces. 

Researchers in Utah sampled 30 different samples from the home of two monkey pox patients, and found that 21 of the surfaces yielded positive real-time PCR results, but none tested positive for viral cultures. Still, despite the lack of live virus found in the samples, the paper still warns that monkey pox can spread through surface contact. The agency also recommends wearing masks at the bottom of the paper, even though little evidence has emerged that monkey pox is an airborne virus 

 “Monkey pox virus primarily spreads through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact with the rash, scabs, lesions, body fluids, or respiratory secretions of a person with monkey pox; transmission via contaminated objects or surfaces (i.e., fomites) is also possible,” the paper reads. 

 “Persons living in or visiting the home of someone with monkey pox should follow appropriate precautions against indirect exposure and transmission by wearing a well-fitting mask, avoiding touching possibly contaminated surfaces, maintaining appropriate hand hygiene, avoiding sharing eating utensils, clothing, bedding, or towels, and following home disinfection recommendations.”