Optimisation of Logistics Networks for Agricultural Produce Distribution in Kano State

Post-harvest losses in Kano State, North West Nigeria, estimated at 25 to 40 percent of production for perishable vegetables and fruits, are exacerbated by fragmented and poorly optimised logistics networks linking farms to urban wholesale markets. This study applies network flow optimisation and facility location modelling to design an improved logistics infrastructure for tomato, onion, and pepper distribution from producing LGAs in Kano State to the Dawanau and Kantin Kwari wholesale markets. A minimum cost flow model is formulated with production nodes, candidate collection centre locations, intermediate consolidation hubs, and market demand nodes. Transportation costs, handling costs, and spoilage rate functions are calibrated from field surveys of 45 logistics operators and 120 smallholder farmers. Facility location decisions for three candidate agro-collection centres are optimised jointly with routing decisions using a mixed-integer programming formulation solved with CPLEX. Results indicate that establishing collection centres at Wudil, Bunkure, and Dawakin Tofa reduces total logistics system cost by 29 percent and post-harvest losses by 18 percentage points relative to the current uncoordinated baseline. The optimal hub network achieves full coverage of 94 percent of tomato-producing LGAs within a 45-minute collection radius. Keywords: logistics network optimisation, agricultural distribution, Kano State, facility location, post-harvest loss.