Posted on October, 18, 2022 at 09:49 am
AFEX, Africa’s leading private commodities market player, on Friday, marked World Food Day 2022, with the launch of a new 100,000MT/ year Grain Quality Enhancement Centre and 30,000 MT storage capacity warehouse at Zaria-Kano Highway, Kaduna, Nigeria.
The plant represents AFEX’s renewed commitment to infrastructure investments that cut post-harvest losses, strengthen quality and standardisation criteria in grain value chains, and improve the livelihoods of primary producers who are able to earn higher income on better quality grains. The plant, which has an annual capacity of 100,000MT, meets the challenges of grain quality enhancement through cleaning, grinding, heating, drying, packaging, and storage services for maize, paddy rice, and soybean.
“Over the years, we have seen a growing demand for grain commodities in the animal feed, food, and drink industries. However, 3.5 trillion naira (circa US$8 billion) is lost annually after harvest because the national storage capacity can only accommodate 5 to 7 percent of agricultural produce. At AFEX, we believe that the grain quality enhancement centre will help meet that demand, support the closure of quality and quantity gaps, maximise income returns for smallholder farmers, and increase access to markets that will benefit key players in the value chain and society at large. The activities in the processing plant will include quality and quantity checks, packaging, storage, and other processes in the value chain,” said Ayodeji Balogun, AFEX CEO
In 2021, AFEX expanded into East Africa to replicate its early successes in Nigeria and to enable seamless access to pan-African commodities trading across Africa while bolstering its food security. It followed with a $1 million loan program in July this year, to provide Kenyan farmers with access to crop seed and fertiliser, allowing them to mitigate rising commodity prices. Just like every other effort, this historic milestone on World Food Day in Nigeria aligns with the United Nations SDG goals 1, 2 5, 8 and 12 as AFEX continues to work towards resilience and sustainability of the agricultural supply chain to alleviate poverty by ensuring that farmers and growers get a better deal for their produce, everyone has access to affordable and nutritious food, and that no one is left behind.
Source: Business Trumpet