The Nigerian firm, Ecotutu has launched a solar-powered cold room system designed to preserve livestock, fruits and vegetables at the Mile 12 International Market in Lagos.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase disclosed that the solar-powered cold room is one of several interesting things the firm intends to do at the market place which will assure provision of cold storage services, logistics for traders, farmers, as well as aggregators to ensuring market people are able to get the value of their produce.
Oluwase said the off-grid cooling system has a capacity of 20 tons and is divided into two segments. The protein (livestock) and fruits and vegetables. The section for fruits and vegetables takes up to 300 crates of 25kg.
He also affirm that they plan to install the cold storage system in 20 other locations, in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo states and in the North, adding that the system encourages food production and storage, imbues confidence in farmers and helps to secure the food system in Nigeria.
However, the co-Founder, and CMO, Ecotutu, Michael Akinsete further stated that their intervention is to plug the waste gap at the production point, including at the farm gate.
Akinsete explained, “Ecotutu’s mission is to democratise access to affordable and reliable cold storage solutions in Africa.
“Nigerian farmers, aggregators, and retailers manage up to 23 million metric tons of fresh fruits and other vegetables worth $4 billion annually, yet the country loses between 35 and 45 percent of these due to postharvest issues during storage and distribution.”
He noted that post-harvest losses remain a major challenge confronting the Nigerian agricultural sector for so long.
According to him, Ecotutu provides a solution to post-harvest losses through its flagship ‘pay-as-you-chill’ model by offering cooling and logistics services, and facilitating marketplace opportunities for retailers and wholesalers, without the need for the high upfront costs
He stated that the cooling facility helps extend the shelf life of perishable produce from two to 21 days and reduces post-harvest loss by 85 percent.
“Each unit of Ecotutu’s solution eliminates food waste and preserves the economic value of food, enabling farmers to take a more significant share of their harvest to market. And more importantly, it boosts the confidence of the value chain players to remain in the food business.”
The Public Affairs Officer, U.S Consolate, Joseph Kruzich said the solar-powered cold storage facility would bring great benefits to the farmers and traders in the area that take their products to the cold room, partiularly their perishable products, because of round-the-clock protection
Kruzich acknowledged that Babajide is a Mandela Washington Fellow of 2022, stating that the Fellowship is a U.S. sponsored programme.
He congratulated Babajide for bringing back what he learned in the U.S to the Mile 12 market.
Ecotutu is the 2022 winner of Zenith Bank Hackathon and it won the Orange Corners Programme of the Netherlands.
(Thisday)