The Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Government to implement immediate and targeted measures to support local farmers grappling with the dual challenges of plunging farm-gate prices and escalating production costs.
This call to action followed a motion moved by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) during plenary, where he highlighted the unintended consequences of recent policy measures aimed at lowering food prices through large-scale import waivers and approvals. While commending the Federal Government for providing relief to consumers, Senator Goje warned that these policies have severely impacted local farmers, threatening livelihoods and food production stability.
According to the motion, the prices of agricultural produce have steadily declined, while input costs—such as fertilisers, pesticides, and insecticides—remain prohibitively high. This economic mismatch has disrupted agricultural markets, leading to significant post-harvest losses and making it difficult for farmers to earn fair or sustainable returns.
In response, the Senate resolved to:
- Urge the Federal Government to introduce a special emergency intervention package to support affected farmers
- Recommend broad-based subsidies on fertilisers and other essential inputs;
- Call on state governments to increase support for the agricultural sector by investing in local farming initiatives and actively addressing post-harvest losses.
The lawmakers emphasised that safeguarding the agricultural sector is critical not only to rural livelihoods but also to national food security and economic stability.
