Farmers in Nigeria’s South-South region are warning that recent gains in food availability could be reversed unless urgent steps are taken to address post-harvest losses and infrastructural gaps.
While food prices have recently dropped, producers say the decline masks deeper structural challenges that threaten long-term productivity.
A survey conducted across the region revealed that poor storage facilities, flooding-induced bumper harvests, and market gluts are major factors affecting farmers’ earnings.
However, insecurity, bad roads, theft, and attacks by herdsmen continue to hinder production and limit farmers’ ability to repay loans.
Mr. Bassey Inwang, Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), highlighted that only two federal storage facilities exist in Ikot Adaidem and Mbo local government areas, both inactive.
“Without functional storage, farmers are forced to sell their produce cheaply to avoid spoilage. This is a major setback for agricultural growth,” he said, urging the government to invest in modern storage centres and subsidised mechanised farming to lower production costs.
Farmers say traditional preservation methods, such as storing vegetables in baskets covered with grass and sprinkled with water daily, remain widespread but are insufficient, lasting only a few weeks.
Mr. James Okon, a vegetable farmer, stressed that centralised storage facilities are urgently needed to safeguard harvests and stabilise local markets.
Smallholder farmers, who produce the bulk of the nation’s food, are also grappling with poor seed quality and attacks from herdsmen.
Herbal farmer Mr. Ekpuk Jumbo warned that without access to quality seeds, funding, and modern equipment, many farmers may abandon cultivation altogether, threatening food security in the region.
The farmers’ warnings underscore the urgent need for government intervention to provide storage infrastructure, improve security, and support mechanised agriculture—key measures that could sustain productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure the South-South region remains a reliable source of Nigeria’s food supply.
