…Says fertiliser, irrigation, fuel costs under review
…Unveils plan for rural storage to curb post-harvest losses
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing decline in food prices across Nigeria but disclosed that the federal government’s next focus is to tackle the high cost of farm inputs to sustain the trend.
Speaking with journalists after attending a Senate public hearing in Abuja, Kyari said the Tinubu administration is intensifying efforts to make fertilisers, irrigation systems, and fuel more affordable for farmers through targeted interventions, credit facilities, and private-sector partnerships.
He said, “I’m happy with the crash of food prices, but it’s the inputs that we’re working on. Fertilisers, irrigation, fuel, and other essentials.
“We are creating mechanisms that will allow farmers to access credit and, at the same time, cheaper products for farming.”
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Senator Salihu Mustapha (Kwara Central), organised the public hearing to gather stakeholders’ input on three bills.
They are, the Cassava Flour (Mandatory Inclusion into Flour Production) (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (SB. 254); the National Food Reserve Agency (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (SB. 139); and the Rice Development Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 541).
Kyari explained that the government’s intervention in the agricultural input supply chain would extend beyond staple crops to include other key produce such as onions, tomatoes, and peppers.
He said, “When we talk about fertilizer and inputs, it won’t be only for staple food; it’s for everybody, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and other agricultural crops,” he noted.
On the issue of post-harvest losses, which have long undermined Nigeria’s food security, Kyari unveiled plans for a community-based storage initiative to replace the old system of large urban silos.
He said, “We have already initiated a legacy project on post-harvest losses, which includes storage at the community level, not the silos situated in urban areas. We are driving a new harvest silos programme where about 85 percent of storage will be located within rural communities to replace the old, inefficient silos.”
According to the minister, the initiative is supported by two major funding mechanisms, the New Growth Infrastructure Fund and the National Agriculture Development Fund, both designed to strengthen the agricultural value chain and reduce food wastage.
Kyari explained that the rural storage model would help stabilize food prices by enabling farmers to preserve surplus produce during harvest and release them strategically during periods of scarcity.
“Community-based storage will not only reduce post-harvest losses but also strengthen our food chain. It will help ensure that excess produce can be preserved and released when needed to maintain price stability,” he said.
He acknowledged that although food prices have begun to drop since last year, the government is targeting even greater stability and affordability by 2026.
“In 2020 and even before last year, food prices were high. This year, we’ve seen prices go down, but we’re not where we want to be yet. We are still on the trajectory toward even lower food prices,” he stated.
Kyari emphasised that the ongoing agricultural reforms are part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring national food security, boosting rural livelihoods, and driving self-sufficiency.
He added that new measures would soon be rolled out to enhance mechanisation, promote agro-processing, and support state governments and farmer cooperatives in scaling up production.
“Our goal is to make sure that every farmer, big or small, has the tools, inputs, and storage facilities needed to contribute to national food security,” Kyari said.
Agricultural experts have consistently identified the high cost of inputs, inadequate storage, and weak distribution networks as major obstacles to stable and sustainable food production.
Kyari’s remarks suggest that the federal government is now moving to implement structural reforms to remove these bottlenecks and consolidate the current gains in the food market.
With the combination of community-level storage, improved access to credit, and lower input costs, the Ministry of Agriculture hopes to position Nigeria firmly on the path to self-sufficiency and long-term food security by 2026.
