Pineapple farmers have called for increased investment in processing facilities and export development to reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen the fruit value chain.
The farmers made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
They said a significant proportion of harvested pineapples was lost before reaching consumers because of the fruit’s highly perishable nature and inadequate value-addition facilities.
Mr Afolabi Odunlami, a pineapple farmer, said many producers were compelled to sell their harvest at low prices during peak production to avoid losses.
“Once pineapples are harvested, farmers have a limited time to sell them. When supply is high and buyers are few, prices crash and many fruits spoil before reaching the market.
“If there are more processing facilities producing juice, concentrates, dried pineapple and other products, farmers will have alternative markets and earn better incomes,” he said.
Odunlami said investment in processing would absorb surplus production, reduce waste and create jobs across the value chain.
Another farmer, Mrs Iyanu Faleye, described inadequate processing facilities as one of the biggest challenges confronting pineapple producers, particularly during the peak harvest season.
She said farmers often sold their produce below production cost because they lacked access to factories that could purchase excess fruits for processing.
“If there are more companies producing pineapple juice, dried pineapple and other products, farmers will have a ready market and fewer fruits will go to waste,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Romtimi Akinwale attributed rising post-harvest losses to poor transportation infrastructure and limited market access.
According to him, high transportation costs and delays in moving produce to urban markets reduce fruit quality and farmers’ earnings.
He called for improved road networks, collection centres and organised produce markets, as well as the establishment of processing plants close to farming communities.
A fruit exporter, Mrs Aminat Olotu, said Nigeria could benefit from growing international demand for fresh and processed tropical fruits if farmers met quality and traceability requirements.
She noted that many smallholder farmers lacked adequate knowledge of export standards, limiting their participation in the international market.
“There is a growing market for pineapple products in Europe, the Middle East and other regions. However, exporters need consistent quality, proper packaging and reliable supply.
“Training farmers and supporting aggregation centres can help bridge the gap between production and export demand,” she said.
Olotu added that increased exports would generate foreign exchange and encourage greater investment in pineapple production and processing.
The stakeholders urged government agencies, financial institutions, research organisations and private investors to collaborate in developing the pineapple industry through value addition and export promotion.According to them, such investments will reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ livelihoods and contribute to agricultural development in the country.
