Food insecurity gap widens 3yrs after

Since the commencement of this administration three years ago, agriculture has encountered numerous difficulties due to the policies implemented by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, starting from his inaugural address.

Upon assuming office, he announced fuel subsidy removal, resulting in a sharp increase in the prices of essential materials and other costs that were directly linked to the hike in transportation costs, which severely impacted the agricultural sector.

This was followed by the devaluation of the naira, which proved to be the final blow, leading to increased costs for imported inputs, restricting farmers’ access to financing, and decreasing overall agricultural output.

Cost of fertiliser, agrochemicals, cost of labour, and other essential services farmers use also went up as the money in their hands lost value.

The sector has never been the same since then, as challenges have only worsened.

In response to the escalating cost of living, exacerbated by currency devaluation and the phasing out of subsidies, the federal government implemented a policy of import waivers. Specifically, it granted waivers to companies, enabling them to import essential agricultural commodities such as rice, maize, sorghum, and wheat into the country. These measures were designed to bolster domestic food processing capabilities and mitigate the adverse economic impacts on consumers.

This importation initiative, which was aimed at addressing soaring food prices, led to substantial financial setbacks for farmers who had borrowed money from banks and used their personal savings to finance agricultural ventures, especially crop farming.

Since the beginning of last year, farmers have been lamenting over the total collapse of grain prices, which made many to incur heavy losses.

This wet season, many farmers are being cautious due to their bitter experience with the collapse of grain prices.

Farmers are becoming more strategic and aware of the difficult experiences of the 2025 wet season, which compelled many commercial farmers to give up farming across the state.

 Some farmers told Daily Trust that last year’s experience was disastrous, with many failing to recoup even half of their capital after spending a fortune on their farms.

They linked this to the high cost of agricultural inputs, costly transportation, and a drop in commodity prices caused by the government’s import waivers.

 “As a farmer, I understand what many of us have been going through in recent times. It got to a point where some farmers preferred buying food commodities rather than cultivating them because it became cheaper and easier to buy than to cultivate. I know what I went through last year, and I saw how others struggled,” Malam Kabir Umar, a Katsina-based farmer, said.

Another farmer, Dan Asibi Funtua, noted that many who will be going back to farms are likely to be smallholder farmers who will be using manure instead of fertiliser because it is relatively cheaper.

He stated that farmers now pay up to N55,000 for a bag of urea and N65,000 for a bag of NPK, adding that since fertiliser is becoming out of reach for small-scale farmers like him, they have begun collecting animal dungs to use as manure for this rainy season.

He added that the fact that a farmer now needs to sell two or three bags of grain to purchase one bag of fertiliser is concerning.

Garba Ahmed Bichi, Secretary of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kano State branch, described the current environment as one in which farmers are finding it more and more difficult to continue investing in farming activities due to uncertainty in the sector.

The Taraba State Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association, Tanko Andami, said farmers are having a terrible time due to the federal government’s policy of allowing the importation of maize and rice, which has led to a collapse in farm produce prices that started last year.

He explained that, despite the challenges that farmers face, he has not seen any solid strategy in place to help farmers produce food and cash crops.

The establishment of the Federal Ministry for Livestock Development marks a significant achievement, eagerly anticipated by numerous stakeholders. However, the ministry’s efficiency has been compromised by inadequate funding, severely limiting its ability to realise its goals.

Daily Trust gathered that the ministry is facing difficulty due to inadequate budget implementation. This has resulted in a marked reliance on externally financed projects, despite the existence of a thorough strategic plan aimed at bringing about significant improvements within the sector.

Farmers throughout the country are also facing intensifying security threats, with the northern region bearing the brunt of these incursions.

 Kidnappings, banditry, and clashes between farmers and herders have forced millions to flee their homes and ancestral lands in the North West, North Central, and North East regions.

 This has resulted in deserted fields, skyrocketing food prices, and a sharp decline in crop production.

 In areas marked by severe instability, armed groups often impose illegal taxes on farmers to gain control over their land or seize a substantial portion of their harvest as protection fees.

 Due to significant risks, farmers are drastically reducing their operations to mitigate financial losses. Numerous commercial farmers have shifted to subsistence agriculture.

 Violent assaults on key trade routes, highways, and local markets impede farmers from marketing their crops, leading to substantial post-harvest losses and a sharp rise in local food prices. 

Dr Austine Maduka, founder of the Community Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria, told Daily Trust that despite the efforts and achievements recorded in various areas, “the agricultural sector continued to face significant challenges.”

He listed some of the challenges to include banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts, which he said: “affected farming activities in several states, limiting access to farmlands and reducing productivity.”

“The removal of fuel subsidy and exchange rate fluctuations increased the prices of fertiliser, transportation, machinery, and farm inputs. Many farming communities still lack adequate roads, electricity, irrigation systems, and storage facilities.”

To address the current challenge posed by the escalating cost of fertilisers, the federal government is implementing a strategic initiative through the National Agricultural Development Fund. Specifically, the fund aims to distribute ‘free fertilisers’ to farmers across the nation. This measure is designed to mitigate the adverse effects of rising fertiliser prices on agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Recently, stakeholders held a special session over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Free Fertiliser distribution to Nigerian Farmers.

Bashir Sulaiman Garkuwa, the  Personal Assistant to the National President of AFAN, Muhammad Magaji Gettado, in a statement, said, “The fertiliser distribution committee comprised representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja, NSA, SSS Director, FIS, and Honourable Muhammad Magaji Gettado as the representative of Nigerian farmers.

“During the meeting, key issues were discussed to ensure that the fertiliser reaches smallholder farmers for free as directed by the president to benefit farmers and change the landscape of agriculture as a whole,” he said.

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)