The price of rice is expected to decrease as the Federal Government plans to support 500,000 local rice farmers.
This was announced by Kabir Ibrahim, the president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), in an interview. He revealed that the National Agricultural Growth Scheme—Agro Pocket initiative will empower these farmers starting in February 2025.
Ibrahim assured that the farmers would receive comprehensive support from the initiative, which is also aimed at increasing rice production, which has faced challenges in recent times.
A new NAGS-AP project is set to launch in February with full support, aiming to reach 500,000 farmers. Ibrahim noted that a similar initiative last year did not meet expectations or deadlines, but this new effort is expected to be more intensive.
The announcement comes amid rising concerns over the sharp increase in food prices, especially for rice.
In Abuja, the cost of a 50-kg bag of rice has surged to around N110,000, putting significant financial pressure on households across the country.
The rise in rice prices is linked to a decline in Nigeria’s rice production, which fell from 8.9 million tonnes in the previous year to 8.3 million tonnes for the 2024–2025 cycle.
This reduction in production has raised concerns about food security, despite government efforts to boost agricultural productivity.
Data from the US Department of Agriculture shows a noticeable decline in milled rice production since the 2023–2024 planting season.
On the government’s efforts to improve food security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized, “We must ensure that both Nigerians and the international community are aware of our efforts to achieve food and nutrition security, addressing hunger, starvation, and malnutrition in the country.”