The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has projected a drop in food prices during the coming harvest season following the Federal Government’s distribution of fertilisers to farmers across the country.
The Federal Government, through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and AFAN, recently distributed fertilisers to 3,040 farmers in 26 states under the leadership of Mr Mohammed Mogaji.
AFAN leaders at the national and state levels made the projection in separate interviews with reporters on Monday in Lagos.
The Acting Chairman of AFAN in Lagos State, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, described the intervention as timely and impactful, saying it would boost food production and lower prices.
“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,” he said.
Agbayewa added that 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 been subsidised.
He noted that farmers have no justification for maintaining high prices when production costs have been reduced through the intervention.
“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 noted that with fertiliser selling for about N40,000 per bag, each beneficiary farmer who received four bags saved approximately N160,000. This translates to an estimated N486.4 million savings 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 speaking, the National General Secretary of AFAN, Mr Femi Oke, described the fertiliser distribution through NADF as a welcome development.
“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,” Oke said.
“The drop may not be immediate, but by harvest time we should begin to see the impact,” he added.
