Nigerian farmers say they are in dire straits. They are lamenting that cheaper food prices being experienced in the country are coming at a costlier and painful production costs, since they are already battling insecurity and sky-high input prices.
According to them, prices of fertiliser, insecticides, improved seeds, agrochemicals, labour, tractor services and other farm machinery have climbed sharply, eroding margins and threatening the sustainability of their operations.
Their concerns come even as the federal government celebrates what it describes as a major turnaround in food prices.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced at the weekend that the prices of essential food commodities have dropped by about 50 per cent nationwide, attributing the development to reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.
Kyari spoke during the quarterly citizens and stakeholders’ engagement retreat on agricultural transformation, where he highlighted efforts by the administration to stabilise the sector.
According to him, the government has placed food security and safety of farming communities at the heart of its policy agenda since taking office, recognising agriculture as critical to national stability and economic growth.
