Non-state actors in Nigeria’s agricultural sector say import waivers have triggered severe unintended consequences for local farmers, particularly in Kaduna and other North-West states. They are calling on the Federal Government to establish a national price floor to protect farmers from price crashes during peak harvest seasons.
Spokesperson for the group Mr. Emmanuel Bonet stated this while briefing newsmen on the need for government to restore farmer confidence, protect rural livelihoods, and safeguard national food security.
According to Mr. Emmanuel Bonet, the group conducted a survey where it discovered that Maize prices have plummeted from ₦550,000 per ton in December 2024 to ₦240,000 per ton in December 2025 with a staggering loss of ₦310,000 per ton.
“Farmers are now losing between ₦777,000 and ₦1,24 million per hectre. This wipes out profits, makes loan repayments impossible, and stems not from low productivity, but from markets distortions, weak post-harvest systems, and floods of cheaper imports. IT IS MARKET FAILURE NOT FARM FAILURE and productivity gains are turning into poverty.”
He said the research beamed it’s searchlight on farm-gate prices for major commodities like maize, sorghum, rice, ginger, tomatoes, soybeans among others whose prices have gone down with high financial losses to farmers.
Mr. Emmanuel Bonet states that the waivers by government though well intended, however requires to be Reviewed and Regulated to make them controlled, time-bound, impact-assessed, and with farmer input to avoid undermining local production.
He commended by Federal and States Government for its interventions which include selective import waivers to curb inflation, support for food availability and affordability, and emergency measures to stabilize markets which were steps taken to shield Nigerians from rising food prices and economic hardship.
The Non- State Actors that carried out the Survey were: AID Foundation, Greysoft Technology, Policy & Citizens Initiative, Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment Development (CALPED), Ginger Association of Nigeria, Maize Association of Nigeria.
Others include: Small Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Marafa Women Cooperative, Gonin Gora Women Multipurpose Cooperativesand Young Farmers Association.
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