The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin Professor Is-haq Oloyede says lack of good storage facilities is the major problem of farm products.

Professor Oloede stated this at the half yearly conference and General meeting of the Nigerian Institute of food science and technology NIFST in conjuction with department of Home Economics and food science, University of Ilorin.

The Vice-Chancellor who was represented by provost college of health science professor Ayodele Omotosho said continuous research will reduce the wastage of farm products and provision of adequate facilities will help to promote traditional food in Nigeria.

In his paper titled "TRADITIONAL FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TRENDS"  Vice-Chancellor, Samuel Adegoroye university Edo state, Professor Samson Adedoyin stated that food is the most essential factor to life.

Professor Adedoyin said traditional food are those foods which nourishes our ancestors throughout their history and pre-history period prior to the industrialization of food.

He said the tertiary processing involves the processing of uncooked food into cooked and highlighted Garri, fufu, ogi, and fura de nunu as types of traditional foods while stating that they have played a major role in the life of the past people.

The Vice Chancellor stated some of the challenges faced in food processing as poor harvesting, poor handling, processing and storage of food, inadequate facilities and lack of transportation.

Professor Adedoyin said some of the challenges for developing countries are to provide incentives for effective expansion for the small unit while stating that traditional food benefits life than modern food.

He stressed further that a well prepared traditional food benefits life than modern food which shorten life and causes illness to the body.

Professor Adedoyin therefore enjoined the Nigerian government to supply the farmers adequate farming equipment in order to promote traditional food processing in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Chairperson and head department of Home Economics and food science Dr.Mrs Ramota Karim said that the mission of the institute is to harness the abundance of talents and knowledge among food professionals in Nigeria.

Dr. Karim said over seventy percent of food consumed in Nigeria is traditionally processed.

She concluded by saying the pursuit of the department of home economics and food science is that every graduate of the department to be self employed.

In his remarks, the Director of Nigeria stored product research institute Ilorin, Dr A.O Oyebamiji , traditional food processing is a set of method used to transmit raw resources into food for human being and animal consumption.

Dr.  Oyebamiji highlighted the constraint of traditional food processing as illiteracy of producers, poverty, high cost of technology access to technology and the opportunity of earning income from food processing which is constrained to small production.

He stated that the challenges include lack of raw materials, technology development approach, and funding of researchers.

Dr. Oyebamiji stated that to store farm products, Grains should be well dried and stored in a big and secured ware-house while cassava can then be stored for twelve weeks if stored in a cool place.