Farmers Lament Food Prices Crash, Count Losses

A wave of bumper harvests across Nigeria has led to a steep fall in food prices, leaving many farmers frustrated over poor returns despite months of hard work.

The prices of major staples such as rice, maize, beans, and tomatoes have dropped sharply in local markets, with a 50kg bag of rice now selling between ₦50,000 and ₦63,000, down from ₦100,000 earlier in the year. 

Similarly, a basket of tomatoes that once cost ₦120,000 now goes for about ₦35,000.

While consumers are celebrating the relief, farmers say the situation has made it nearly impossible to recover their investments. 

They cite poor storage facilities, insecurity, and lack of access to viable markets as key challenges forcing them to sell at giveaway prices.

According to NAN, in Kaduna, maize and soybean farmer Ibrahim Musa said insecurity and poor infrastructure had made farming less profitable despite favourable rainfall. 

“We had a good yield this year, but bandits won’t allow us access to our farmlands, and without storage, we’re forced to sell cheaply,” he lamented.

Another farmer, Grace Zakari from Soba, explained that the high cost of fertiliser and labour had wiped out profits. 

“Even with good harvests, the market prices are too low to cover our costs,” she said.

The situation is similar in Kano, where farmers enjoyed excellent yields but remain worried about post-harvest losses. 

Groundnut farmer Audu Muzammil described the season as both rewarding and challenging. 

“The rains were good, but storage is a big issue. We risk losing much of what we worked for,” he said.

However, some, like Umaru Garba from Bebeji, credited government programmes like the SAPZ initiative for improved yields. 

“I doubled my groundnut output this year thanks to better seeds and training,” he said.

In Katsina, farmers also complained that high input costs and low commodity prices had wiped out their gains. 

Abubakar Aliyu, a maize farmer, said, “Fertiliser costs ₦50,000, but maize sells for ₦30,000. Many of us can’t break even.”

While the decline in food prices has brought temporary relief to consumers, farmers warn that without proper storage systems, subsidies, and improved security, future production could decline.

Market analyst Bala Ali noted that the abundance of produce had boosted food supply in the North-West but added that “sustainable policies are needed to balance farmers’ welfare with consumer affordability.”

As one Katsina farmer, Kabir Sabiu, philosophically put it, “We thank God for the harvest. It helps the poor eat, but it also leaves us farmers struggling to survive.”