Nigeria: Agric Minister Explains Food Shortage

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has attributed the current acute food shortage in Nigeria to seasonal effects, reduced landmass, flooding, and other factors. However, he assured Nigerians that a bumper harvest is expected before the year-end.

Food inflation has surged to 40 percent, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), pushing the prices of essential commodities beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.

Key Factors Contributing to Food Shortage

Speaking on Channel Television’s Sunday Politics, Kyari highlighted the primary factors contributing to the food shortage:

1. Seasonal Effects: “The season we have here is a critical issue we have in agriculture. This is what we call the lean season, which is between June and July and the next harvest,” the minister said.
2. Reduced Landmass and Flooding: Kyari noted the shrinkage of agricultural land due to flooding and habitation problems.
3. Insecurity and Aging Farming Population: He also pointed out that insecurity and an aging farming population, with fewer young people entering agriculture, are significant challenges.

Government Measures to Address Food Shortage

Kyari emphasized that the Federal Government has implemented measures to address the food shortage, including scaling up farming activities to increase food production. Some of these measures include:

1. Mechanized Farming: The government is promoting mechanized farming by distributing fertilizers to farmers and purchasing tractors. “We have ordered 200 tractors and 9,000 other implements from Belarus,” Kyari mentioned.
2. Modern Farming Implements: He acknowledged that the basic farming tool in Nigeria is a hoe, which is archaic. “That’s why we are talking mechanization,” he said.

Assurance of Bumper Harvest

Kyari assured Nigerians that a bumper harvest is expected around October-November this year. “Barring any natural issues, we are expecting a bumper harvest,” he said. “I am just assuring you that we will have a bumper harvest.”

The minister’s assurance aims to provide some relief to Nigerians amid the current food inflation crisis, with the expectation that the upcoming harvest will help stabilize food prices and improve food security in the country.