The hike in prices of food items in Nigeria has been attributed to the high cost of production as well as the high level of insecurity in the country.
A major stakeholder in the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy and Chairman, Folhope Nigeria Limited, a company renowned for agricultural production, Chief Emmanuel Folorunsho Ogunnaike, stated this while speaking with the Tribune Online on Tuesday.
He noted that:”As far I am concerned, high cost of production is one of the leading factors leading to high food prices. Also, inability of farmers to have access to their farms metamorphose to scarcity of food.
“When any commodity is scarce, and the cost of production might have gone up, surely, there is going to be inflation on such a product day by day. The cost of production is high, farmers could not produce up to their maximum capacity as a result of insecurity here and there.
“I think that is the major factor militating against bumper harvest which is now resulting to scarcity of food which is now resulting to high price of food. In the market as of today, food is so scarce with exception to rice and even if rice is available for between N35,000 and N36,000 per bag of 50kg, do we say that is affordable for the common man? You cannot regard that as a staple food for the common man considering the price.”
Speaking on the way out of the challenges listed, Ogunnaike said that if farmers are unable to produce, I do not think there is going to be solution. Farmers should be in a position to produce if they are well protected.
“But if they are the target of killing and maiming, nobody likes to lose his life. Farmers are running away from the farm. In those days if you are coming from Lagos to Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States in the months of April and May, both left and right of the road are full of fresh corn. Roasted, boiled and fresh ones.
“All those places where these agricultural products were being produced as at that time are now grazing areas for cattle. If that problem is not solved, forget about food sufficiency in Nigeria no matter the amount of money the government may put into agricultural production, if farmers are allowed to be killed and maimed and farm produces being grazed on by animals, forget about food surplus or food security in the country.”
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