High fertiliser cost: Farmers Boycott Major Crop Farming, Embrace Low-Cost Crop Production
- The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated that the ministry has invested over N200 billion in terms of intervention
- Farmers across the country have highlighted the threat cost of fertilisers pose to food production, especially on major crops
- Farmers express frustration over the lack of government intervention as they boycott major crops to produce crops with lower production costs
Food production may witness another major setback as the cost of fertiliser skyrockets across Nigeria, threatening both food security and food prices.
Farmers across the country have vented their frustration over the recent hike in the cost of agriculture production, with the fertiliser price hike taking centre stage, as reported by Daily Trust.
Source: Getty Images
Contrary to the federal government's recent assertion that free fertiliser distribution supported farmers nationwide, many are still struggling with soaring production costs.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, in a statement released on June 22, 2025, said, “The ministry has invested over N200 billion in terms of intervention.”
However, findings from key agricultural states reveal a growing trend of small-scale farmers switching from fertiliser-intensive crops like maize and rice to more resilient options such as millet, sorghum, and cassava, which demand less or no fertiliser.
Nigeria's annual maize demand stands at approximately 21 million metric tons. However, current output has slumped to about 10.5 million metric tons, sparking concerns over severe shortages and escalating prices in the coming months.
Similarly, NPK fertiliser is now sold at between N48,000 and N55,000 in many rural communities.
According to Kabiru Ibrahim, National President of the All Farmers' Association of Nigeria (AFAN), the soaring cost of fertiliser poses a significant threat to the nation's food security ambitions. He recently cautioned about this in an interview with Daily Trust.
“Most of our Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) and a host of large-scale ones are groaning under the high cost of fertiliser, and this certainly portends a serious threat to the attainment of food security in Nigeria.
“We have quite a number of farmers complaining that with the current trend in fertiliser prices, they will not be able to produce maize since the price of the maize they produced last season is so low that they are not able to even break even,” he stated.
The farmers' national leader called on the government to expedite the implementation of a fertiliser subsidy program, ensuring the farmers' access to affordable inputs and mitigating potential damage to the country's food system.
Farmers embrace low-cost crop production
Malam Hamza Adamu, a farmer from Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, is among many farmers who have abandoned maize this season.
“You can’t buy a bag of fertiliser for the same amount you sell a bag of maize. And if you plant maize without fertiliser, you’ll face serious issues,” he said.
According to Adamu, most farmers are now shifting to grains that require minimal fertiliser input.
Source: Getty Images
Kano farmers decry lack of government intervention
Legit.ng previously reported that the smallholder farmers across Kano state have raised urgent concerns over the federal government's failure to provide meaningful support to agriculture.
Kano is one of Nigeria's agricultural powerhouses. Farmers, however, say they face crippling challenges, warning that the nation's food security is under severe threat.
Some of the challenges mentioned by the farmers include exorbitant input costs, lack of mechanisation, and looming flood risks.
In various interviews with a Legit.ng correspondent in Kano, some local farmers across agrarian communities in the state expressed frustration over unfulfilled government promises.
Herdsmen attack farmers in Adamawa
Legit.ng also reported that a clash over land use between farmers and herdsmen in Murgarang, Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, has escalated into violence, leaving three farmers injured. The Legit.ng correspondent in the state learned that the conflict arose due to disagreements over land access and grazing rights.
The confrontation was triggered when herdsmen attempted to pass through farmlands with their cattle for grazing. The farmers, however, refused to grant access, citing concerns over crop destruction without compensation.
An earlier directive by the Adamawa State Government had restricted herdsmen from entering farmlands between April 2024 and February 2025.
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Source: Legit.ng
