Farmers Laud FG as Food Prices Drop, but Warn of Losses and Looming Exit from Agriculture

As food commodity prices continue to decline across the country, farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector have commended the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilise the market but cautioned that the gains are largely tilted in favour of consumers, leaving producers at a financial disadvantage.

A nationwide survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across Oyo, Ogun, and Kwara States revealed mixed reactions among farmers. While many appreciated the government’s intervention for easing the cost of food, others lamented that they are bearing the brunt of reduced selling prices despite high production expenses.

Mr. Adewumi Abas, the South-West Coordinator of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for authorising the importation of certain food items to cushion the effects of inflation. He said the decision had helped make food more affordable and available.

“The result is what we are currently experiencing on food prices,” Abas noted, adding that farmers had also cooperated with government policies to support the national food supply chain.

However, he acknowledged that farmers still struggle with soaring prices of inputs such as fertilisers and chemicals. Abas appealed to members not to hoard produce, while urging the government to address the rising cost of farm inputs and strengthen security as the dry season approaches.

“We appeal to the government to assist farmers in tackling security challenges, especially as we are entering another farming season,” he said.

Abas also called for the establishment of farm villages with irrigation facilities to support year-round production, explaining that such an initiative would ensure steady food availability.

Similarly, Mr. Adetunji Samson, the Oyo State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), attributed the fall in food prices to a combination of improved security, farmer empowerment, and subsidised farm inputs.

“Many farmers who had been displaced by insecurity are now returning to their farms,” Samson explained. “Interventions such as fertiliser subsidies, improved seeds, and training in value addition have reduced production costs and improved output.”

Yet, not all farmers share the optimism. Elder David Adeoye, an Ibadan-based maize and cassava farmer, described the harvest season as financially draining. He criticised the government’s “price crash policy” for failing to consider the high cost of production.

“Prices of fertilisers, chemicals, and transport remain high, yet the government is forcing food prices down,” he said. “This will discourage many farmers from continuing next season.”

Adeoye narrated how a fellow farmer, who cultivated six hectares of maize and cassava, made a huge loss and now struggles to pay labourers. “Ordinarily, his maize should have earned him ₦3.5 million, but he barely realised ₦1.2 million,” Adeoye lamented.

In Ogun State, Mr. Timothy Abiola, a farmer from Obafe in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, identified climate change and post-harvest waste as key challenges. He said ongoing climate-smart training had helped farmers find value in waste through processing and product diversification.

“For cassava, we make garri, fufu, tapioca, and flour to reduce waste,” Abiola said. “But the current low prices are hurting us — government should buy our produce at reasonable rates instead of only subsidising oil.”

The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Bolu Owotomo, highlighted the state’s achievements in boosting productivity and reducing post-harvest losses. He noted that over 160,000 farmers had been registered under the state’s Farmers Information Management System and that the government was establishing processing centres across the state.

“We have impacted over 32,000 cassava farmers and provided inputs that lowered production costs,” Owotomo said. “The current price drop is a direct result of these interventions.”

In Kwara State, however, members of the Small-scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) said the situation had left many female farmers at risk of financial ruin.

Hajia Funmilayo Lawal, the Ilorin-East Coordinator of SWOFON, said although food is cheaper, input costs and labour remain high. “If the situation persists, many of us may abandon farming entirely,” she warned.

Another member, Mrs. Mary Adeniyi from Baruten Local Government, said many farmers now keep their produce at home to avoid selling at loss-making prices. “Prices have dropped ridiculously — maize is ₦5,000, soybeans ₦10,000 — but our labour and chemical costs haven’t dropped,” she said.

SWOFON Ilorin-West Coordinator, Mrs. Modupe Suleiman, stressed that women farmers are critical to food security and deserve stronger institutional support.

“There’s a need for coordinated support from government, private sector, and communities,” she said. “We need modern storage facilities, financial assistance, and training on preservation and value addition to keep agriculture sustainable.”

Suleiman warned that without these measures, Nigeria risks losing its smallholder farmers — the backbone of its food system — to economic hardship.