OUR FELLOWS
Yemisi Jeff-Agboola grew up on a farm in Nigeria where she observed the damage that high humidity causes to maize. However, her family was not aware of the danger of eating aflatoxin-affected food, or of feeding it to their livestock—an issue that persists today in rural Nigerian communities. Farmers cannot afford the chemicals needed to address the problem (apart from the health hazards of such solutions), and this led Jeff-Agboola to research alternatives.
One of the most glaring problems is that harvested grain is not properly processed. Postharvest handling in Nigeria leaves a lot to be desired in general,” says Jeff-Agboola. “I am working with farmers, particularly women’s groups, on better drying methods for their grain, a rather simple solution to prevent mycotoxin development.
Field of Research
Control of mycotoxigenic molds in poultry feed and the effect of mycotoxins on poultry performance.