Agriculture: Ekiti TIC, RISE Spec, UK organizations Unveil Innovation to Curb $9Billion Post-harvest loss

...as Ekiti Government Restates Commitment to Sector 

By Abidemi Omoyajowo

Federal Government's Technology Incubation Centre, Ado Ekiti and RISE System Spec Limited have unveiled an innovation aimed at reducing Nigeria's $9Billion Post-harvest losses in the rise production sector through a digital agriwarehouse system.

 Unveiling the innovation in Ado Ekiti, the Centre Manager, Mr Tola Fasan said rice farmers have battled Post-harvest losses, poor storage, market opacity and fragmented access to buyers as well as finance.

Fasan said the agriwarehouse ecosystem would move farmers "from guess work to data, losses to efficiency and from potential to food security".

While providing an overview of RISE System Spec, co-founder and Director of Operations, Mr Yomi Adetunji said the agritech firm targets 15,000 small holder farmers in 10 States with a plan to later expand the scope.

Adetunji stated the need for a standard policy and regulatory framework for digital identity to guide the implementation of the agriwarehouse solution for rice production in Nigeria.

He added that the adoption would scale to other commodities such as maize, sorghum, cocoa etc.

"Nigeria losses USD9 billion to post-harvest losses annually. The team recognised the need to build the country capacity  to tap into 14% global Agriwarehouse market, which india alone shared USD27 billion", Adetunji said. 

"If Nigeria's 12 million smallholders are adequately integrated into the ecosystem, we can achieve the target milestone", Adetunji said.

In his presentation, the co-founder and Director of Partnership and Growth of RISE System Spec, Mr Bayo Ayodele said the innovation aims at securing Nigeria's future by ensuring that farmers, processors and consumers get value from rice production value chain.

Ayodele described RISE system Spec as an agritech startup digitalizing agriwarehouse ecosystem as finance-led Agricultural market solution to address inefficiencies in Nigeria's rice production.

The innovation was developed Bayo Ayodele and Yomi Adetunji, both young agripreneurs who are products of the Technology Incubation Centre, Ado Ekiti.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Babatope Ojo said the Biodun Oyebanji-led administration in Ekiti State has provided a number of incentives to encourage farmers produce more.

The Permanent Secretary stated the the Oyebanji-led administration is irrevocably committed to ensure that the State becomes the food basket of the nation.

Ojo who was represented by a Deputy Director, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo, said the government offers 50% subsidy of plowing and tractorization for farmers who have more than 10 hectares of farm.

He called on farmers in the State to take advantage of the various agricultural interventions of the State government which are aimed at boosting food production in the State.

At the unveiling, two of RISE System Spec partners in the United Kingdom, also made presentations. 

Alec Anderson of Koolmill, a UK-based agritech firm, made a presentation on the need for a digital ecosystem that helps farmers benefit from the rice value chain.

Also, Alex Sheffield of Sheffield Hallam University made a presentation on the gains of the agriwarehouse ecosystem.

At the event, the Head of Agric Value chain for Credlanche, another partner of RISE System Spec, Mr Babatunde Ogunsipe as well as the State Manager of Bank of Agriculture, Mrs Ebidayo Olabode assured of their partnership since the innovation would help identify real farmers who need support from the two organizations.