News
Nigeria loses 50 percent of crop produce to pest
<h4><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Federal Government declared on Monday that pests cause the loss of 50 percent of crop produce.</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-14735 size-full" src="https://thedailypage.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Pest.jpeg" alt="Nigeria loses 50 percent of crop produce to pest" width="516" height="388" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mohammed Mahmood, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made the announcement at a news conference held by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service in Abuja to commemorate the International Day of Plant Health.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He said that we must treat plant health seriously since plants are constantly at risk from viruses, bacteria, nematodes, insects, aphids, and fungi.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">These plant health problems jeopardize food security and put livelihoods reliant on crop value chains at risk.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He also added that we lose 50% of our annual farm gate value in Nigeria due to bug damage.They limit food availability and raise food prices by reducing yield and quality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He did say, however, that the government recognized plant health as a national priority, which led to the creation of the Plant Health Protection Agency.</span></p>