Despite an abundant harvest this season, farmers across Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi States are lamenting the steep drop in food prices, which they say has left them struggling to recover from high production costs.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, several farmers revealed that while they harvested more crops than in previous years, the current market prices have crashed to nearly half of last year’s rates.
According to them, a 100kg bag of maize now sells between ₦30,000 and ₦35,000, compared to about ₦70,000 in 2024. Similarly, a 100kg bag of locally processed rice, which previously sold for ₦150,000, now goes for around ₦120,000.
Mr. Sunday Bulus, a farmer from Nasarawa, described the situation as heartbreaking.
> “Some of us collected loans to farm and are still repaying them. Now, a bag of maize sells between ₦30,000 and ₦35,000,” he said.
He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene by lowering the cost of farm inputs and tackling insecurity that still prevents many farmers from accessing their fields.
Mr. Haruna Ali, another farmer, said the price crash had wiped out their profits.
> “I bought maize and rice seeds, fertilisers and herbicides at high prices. A bag of maize that used to sell between ₦60,000 and ₦70,000 now goes for just ₦30,000 to ₦35,000,” he lamented.
Mrs. Hauwa Isah noted that the declining food prices had made it difficult for many farmers to meet family needs like paying school fees or medical bills.
> “How can we pay our children’s school fees with these poor prices after buying inputs at high costs?” she asked, urging the government to establish a price control board to stabilise the market.
Mr. Danjuma Ibrahim, a smallholder farmer in Lafia, said insecurity and high transport costs were major challenges.
> “Herders attack farms and steal harvested crops. Kidnappings are rampant, and transport costs are high. Farmers end up selling at giveaway prices,” he said.
However, he also noted that the price decline could be linked to the harvest season’s supply glut.
Agricultural expert Mr. Joshua Adagazu of the Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme (NADP) advised farmers to adopt better storage and preservation methods to prevent post-harvest losses.
> “They should properly dry their produce and use clean, pest-free, well-ventilated storage facilities. If you must use chemicals, ensure the grains are stored for at least three to four months before consumption,” he advised.
In Niger State, Dr. Abdullahi Jabi, a former president of the Nigerian Farmers Association, blamed the situation on insecurity, poor infrastructure, and flooding.
> “Banditry has forced many farmers off their lands, and flooding has destroyed crops. Some have received no support from government,” he said.
Jabi added that the government’s downward review of agricultural product prices and the appreciation of the naira had worsened the situation.
> “A bag of maize now sells for ₦35,000 and keeps dropping. Guinea corn sells for ₦40,000, down from ₦75,000–₦100,000 last year,” he noted.
He called for agriculture-friendly subsidies, provision of tractors, fertilisers, and seeds at affordable rates, and stronger security for rural communities.
In Kogi State, farmers shared similar frustrations. Mr. Maaji Bulus from Lokoja said that although yields were good, the market had been flooded with produce, causing prices to tumble.
> “Prices of maize, beans, and garri have fallen so badly that even if you sell all you harvested, you can’t recover a quarter of your costs,” he said. “The reopening of borders and influx of imported food have worsened the situation.”
Another farmer, Mr. Caleb Agbaje, highlighted flooding, erratic rainfall, and insecurity as recurring problems, especially given Kogi’s location at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue.
He urged farmers to embrace climate-smart agriculture, while calling on government to invest in irrigation and rural infrastructure.
Vegetable farmer Mr. Abdullahi Mamood also lamented poor access to markets and modern tools.
> “The combination of bumper harvests, flooding, and poor demand has crashed prices of major commodities,” he said.
Farmers across the three states appealed for government support through irrigation facilities, solar-powered water pumps, affordable loans, and better infrastructure to help sustain agricultural productivity.
NAN
