The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the persistent decline in prices of farm produce and its impact on farmers, food supply, and nutrition across Nigeria. The move follows a motion by Bamidele Salam, representing Osun State, who highlighted a sharp drop in prices for staples like cassava, rice, and yam. Salam noted that farmers are incurring heavy losses due to rising input costs, including seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, transport, and labour, with many operating on loans or cooperative funds. He identified systemic challenges such as inadequate buyers, poor storage, weak processing infrastructure, and limited market access, all contributing to post-harvest waste and vulnerability to price swings.
Salam warned that continued price instability could drive farmers out of agriculture, reduce local food production, and increase reliance on food imports. He also raised concerns about worsening nutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations, if affordable, locally produced food becomes less available. In response, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, along with other relevant agencies, to implement interventions such as improved storage and processing systems, better market linkages, and price stabilization policies. The goal is to protect farmers from financial losses and ensure they receive fair returns on their produce.
Bamidele Salam highlights collapsing farm prices while noting farmers financed production with loans, yet offers no explanation for why state-backed price support systems failed to activate. If storage and market access are long-standing issues, the continued lack of functional infrastructure means farmers in Osun and beyond are left exposed season after season. This pattern suggests that motions and investigations may serve more as record-keeping than as solutions for those already in distress.
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