By Barbara Nwaiwu
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has projected a reduction in food prices during the coming harvest season following the Federal Government’s fertiliser intervention programme aimed at supporting farmers and improving agricultural output across the country.
The projection was made on Monday in Lagos during separate interviews by national and state leaders of the association after the recent distribution of fertilisers by the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with AFAN under the leadership of Mohammed Mogaji.
Under the intervention, fertilisers were distributed to 3,040 farmers across 26 states as part of efforts to reduce production costs and strengthen food supply.
Speaking on the expected impact of the programme, the acting chairman of AFAN in Lagos State, Sakin Agbayewa, described the intervention as timely and capable of improving both agricultural productivity and food affordability.
“The recent fertiliser intervention by the federal government has really helped farmers, not only in Lagos but across the federation.”
“Providing this vital agricultural input free of charge through the farmer input support programme is highly commendable.”
“If farmers make proper use of the fertilisers, the cost of food commodities should become more affordable by harvest time because part of the production cost has already been subsidised,” Mr Agbayewa said.
According to him, the reduction in production expenses should reflect in market prices once crops are harvested, noting that farmers would have limited justification for maintaining high prices after benefiting from subsidised inputs.
“I see no reason local farmers cannot sell their produce at more affordable prices. This will improve access to quality food and support government efforts to address food insecurity,” he said.
Agbayewa explained that with fertiliser currently selling at about N40,000 per bag, each beneficiary who received four bags saved an estimated N160,000 during the planting period.
He added that the intervention represented total estimated savings of about N486.4 million for the 3,040 beneficiary farmers.
“To say the intervention is impactful is an understatement. We appreciate the President Bola Tinubu administration for being responsive to the needs of farmers,” he said.
Also commenting on the initiative, AFAN National General Secretary, Femi Oke, said the timing of the fertiliser support aligned with the wet season, when farmers require inputs to maximise production.
“The fertilisers came at the right time because this is the wet season when farmers need them most. If farmers make good use of the intervention, it will increase yields, result in bumper harvests and ultimately lead to a reduction in food prices.”
“The drop may not be immediate, but by harvest time we should begin to see the impact,” Mr Oke said.
The association expressed optimism that improved access to fertiliser and lower input costs would translate into increased yields and contribute to easing pressure on food prices in the coming months.
