FG to empower 500,000 farmers

The price of rice in Nigeria is set to decrease as the Federal Government steps up its efforts to support local farmers, particularly those engaged in rice production.

In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim, disclosed that the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket project is expected to empower 500,000 farmers starting in February 2025.

This intervention, he assured, would provide comprehensive support to the farmers and contribute to ramping up rice production, which has faced challenges in recent years.

“There is a NAGS-AP project going on. It’s going to start in February. It’s going to capture 500,000 farmers with full support. So, and last year, something happened. It didn’t work. They didn’t do it on time. It will ramp this up,” Ibrahim explained.

The announcement comes amid rising concerns over the steep increase in food prices, especially rice.

In Abuja, the cost of a 50kg bag of rice has soared to no less than N110,000, a surge that has burdened households across the country.

This price hike is linked to a recent decline in Nigeria’s rice production, which fell to 8.3 million tonnes for the 2024/2025 cycle, down from 8.9 million tonnes in the previous year.

Despite government interventions to boost agricultural output, the decline in production has raised alarms about food security.

The PUNCH reported that data from the United States Department of Agriculture indicated a noticeable drop in milled rice production, a trend that has been evident since the 2023/2024 planting season.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, in his comments about the government’s strategy to enhance food security said, “It is essential for us to inform Nigerians and the world about our efforts to achieve food and nutrition efficiency, thereby combating hunger, starvation, and malnutrition in the country.”