Nigeria may be headed for another food security crisis as farmers across the country are abandoning rice and maize cultivation due to the skyrocketing cost of fertilisers.
Speaking to Daily Trust farmers and agricultural groups lamented that fertiliser prices have gone beyond their reach. A bag of urea now sells for between ₦47,000 and ₦50,000, up from ₦35,000–₦37,000 just months ago. Similarly, NPK fertiliser has surged to ₦48,000–₦55,000 in many rural areas.
The National President of the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc. Kabiru Ibrahim, warned that the high input costs are crippling food production, threatening Nigeria’s already fragile food security.
“Unless urgent intervention comes from the government, many farmers will simply stop planting,” he said.
With fewer farmers planting staple crops like rice and maize, analysts warn of rising food prices and shortages in the months ahead.
