AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING, THE SOLUTION TO AFRICA?

WHY IS AFRICA STILL BEHIND?, WHY ARE WE STILL THE ONES BEING RULED BY THE WHITEMEN?, WHY ARE WE STILL SLAVES YET WE CLAIM TO HAVE A BLESSED LAND FILLED WITH ENOUGH NUTRIENTS AND CROPS THAT CAN LEAD TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND FOOD ON EVERY ONES TABLE YET WE STILL SUFFER?.
I ASKED THESE QUESTIONS BUT STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY SATISFACTORY ANSWERS, SO I DECIDED TO ABOUT WHY HAVEN'T WE LOOKED IN DEPTH AT AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING, THERE JUST MIGHT BE AN ANSWER TO WHY WE ARE STILL WHERE WE ARE?

AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING IS THE POST HARVEST TREATMENT PERFORMED ON AN AGRICULTURAL MATERIAL, FROM WHERE IT IS HARVESTED TO THE PERIOD IT GOES TO THE MARKET.
IT IS ALSO DEFINED AS ANY ACTIVITY PERFORMED ON AN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN ORDER TO CHANGE ITS FORM OR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CROP IN ORDER TO ADD VALUE TO IT AND PREPARE THE PRODUCE FOR UTILIZATION. AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING;

1. MATERIAL SEPERATION (CLEANING, SORTING, GRADING)
2. MILLING OR SIZE REDUCTION
3. DRYING
4. COOLING/ COLD STORAGE
5. MATERIAL HANDLING
6. PACKAGING AND STORAGE
   
   BENEFITS OF AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING
7. AGRIC PROCESSING HELPS IN IMPROVING THE SHELVE LIFE OF AGRIC PRODUCE BY REDUCING MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES.
8. IT HELPS IN MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HARVESTED CROPS
9. IT CHANGES THE FORMS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRODUCE AND CONVERTS THEM INTO READILY USEABLE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND
10. PROCESSING MAKES SEASONAL CROPS AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND
11. TO SERVE AS A SOURCE OF INCOME TO HELP THE POPULACE. AGRIC PROCESSING, IF WELL DEVELOPED, IS A WAY OF PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA AND THIS WILL IN TURN KEEP THE PEOPLE OF THE STREETS AND PROVIDE A GOODLIFE FOR THEM
12. AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING ALSO HELPS IN IMPROVING THE MARKET VALUE OF HARVESTS.
    

IF THE GOVERNMENTS COULD PROVIDE FOR THE FARMERS IN AFRICA TO LOOK INTO AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A STEP AWAY FROM THE DISHEARTENING POVERTY INCLINED ON AFRICANS TO THE FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND STABILITY PROMISED INITIALLY BY THE GOVERNMENT. WAKE UP NIGERIA, WAKE UP AFRICA!!!

Photo credits:

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture
2. www.krishijagran.com/agripedia/novel-technologies-in-food-processing/