KANO, NIGERIA — In its drive to reduce post-harvest loss and support farmers, Nigeria’s Dantata Foods has chosen Blumberg Grain, a US-based global food security storage firm, to construct facilities for local crops with potential for grain storage, fertilizer and seed distribution sections in Kano, Nigeria.

Construction is expected to begin this year and will include specialized storage for onions that can be expanded to include other crops. The project also will provide Nigeria’s farmers with training and technical assistance, financing assistance and other resources.

Blumberg Grain’s use of cold chain with controlled atmosphere technology can extend the life of the Nigerian onion crop by up to 11 months, while reducing high current post-harvest loss rates to under 5%. The project also is designed to address hardships to Nigerian farmers due in-part to climate change that has damaged Nigerian agriculture and increased post-harvest losses and decreased crop yields.

“As my company works to create new opportunities for our country’s farmers and building up our agricultural independence and growth potential, I wanted the best technology and expertise to showcase modern food security and storage facilities and systems we must have,” said Tajuddeen Dantata, chairman and founder of Dantata Foods. “Blumberg Grain’s experience and technology across grain and produce and perishables will provide us with the tools we need to grow.”

Blumberg Grain works with companies and countries to modernize agricultural value chains, minimize harvest losses and maximize output. Its work extends across Africa and the Middle East, including the construction of one of the world’s largest food security projects in Egypt, which saw the construction of 3.2 million square feet in 93 grain storage facilities along 600 miles of the Nile Valley.