Farmers across Nigeria have warned that many producers may reduce cultivation or boycott the coming planting season due to soaring input costs and declining produce prices, industry leaders have said.
The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mohammed Magaji, said the widening gap between production expenses and market returns was discouraging farmers from going to the fields this year.
“Many farmers are already saying they may not plant this season because the cost of farming keeps rising while the prices of what they sell remain low,” he said.
“If this continues, it will have serious consequences for food supply and the economy.”
Magaji explained that fertiliser prices and other inputs had climbed sharply, leaving farmers unable to recover their investments after harvest.
“When you spend heavily on fertiliser, seeds and labour and later sell your produce at a much lower price, it means you are running at a loss,” he added. “No farmer can sustain that for long.”
He noted that he might drastically cut his own cultivation size this season because of the high production costs.
“I used to farm dozens of hectares, but this year I may reduce it significantly because the expenses are too high and the returns are uncertain,” he said.
Magaji, however, said farmers would return fully to production if government support improved, particularly in providing subsidised inputs and access to machinery.
“If fertiliser, agrochemicals and improved seeds are made available at affordable prices and mechanisation becomes easier, farmers are ready to produce more and even export,” he stated.
Similarly, the National President of the National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors and Marketing Cooperative Limited, Yunusa Enemali, questioned claims that inflation was easing, saying rural communities were yet to feel any relief.
“From where we are in the villages, nothing has become cheaper for farmers,” he said.
“Transport costs are high, fuel is expensive and climate conditions are affecting harvests.”
He also blamed poor storage facilities for forcing farmers to sell produce at low prices.
“Because many farmers lack warehouses, they are compelled to sell immediately after harvest, even when prices are unfavourable,” Enemali said. “If they don’t sell, the produce may spoil.”
He further highlighted the absence of basic infrastructure in rural communities, noting that many farmers still struggle with poor roads, limited healthcare and unreliable electricity.
Meanwhile, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise warned that falling food prices, while beneficial to consumers, could discourage agricultural investment if producers continue to record losses.
The organisation said increased imports of staple foods had weakened incentives for local production and could undermine long-term food security.
It called for a structured farm price stabilisation framework to protect farmers’ incomes, reduce distress sales and maintain stable food supply.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows inflation has moderated in recent months, with headline inflation standing at about 15 per cent in January 2026 and food inflation slowing significantly.
