Food Security: Research firm tasks Nigeria on technology, agro-credit
By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
A research and advisory firm, Veriv Africa, has urged Nigeria to embrace new farming technologies, overhaul its agricultural credit system and address farmer-herder clashes to boost its food security aspirations.
This is contained in Veriv Africa, a data-driven and intelligence analysis firm’s food price baseline survey report, 2025.
The document analysed price dynamics in six key crop value chains across the country and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The crops and their areas of abundance are cocoa in Ondo State, Sesame and beans, Kano, rice and corn, Niger, tomato, Kaduna and yam, in Benue.
The study, which was conducted in February, engaged 543 smallholder farmers.
The firm highlighted the importance of technology in farming and post-farming activities.
It said private sector investment demonstrated the potential of modern processing techniques to boost yields and incomes and recommended the revival of Staple Crop Processing Zones.
The zones are the initiative of the African Development Bank.
They seek to transform agriculture by establishing processing hubs in areas where crops are produced, focusing on value addition and reducing reliance on imports.
Some of them are located in Akwa Ibom, Edo and Osun.
The findings also offered critical insights into farmer demographics, sentiments, challenges, and priorities, laying the groundwork for data-driven decision-making and policy formulation.
“The survey on farmer demographics and challenges revealed that 84 per cent of surveyed farmers operate on small landholdings of one to four acres, predominantly relying on family labour.
“Access to finance remains a significant hurdle, with 60 per cent funding their farming activities through personal savings and only 12 per cent accessing formal credit.
“The most pressing challenges identified by farmers are lack of finance 54 per cent, insecurity 21 per cent and post-harvest losses 12 per cent,” it said.
The survey also documented a baseline for crop prices across the surveyed regions, providing a snapshot of market conditions at the time of data collection.
“The recorded prices are cocoa at ₦110,000 per 50kg bag, sesame at ₦102,305.19 per 50kg bag, farm-priced un-milled rice at ₦43,750 per 50kg bag.
“Yam at ₦39,423.08 per 50-tuber group, corn at ₦36,309.52 per 50kg bag, and tomato at ₦12,500 per 50kg basket and the figures offer insight into the challenges and concerns raised by the farmers,’’ it said.
It recommended immediate and decisive action to address farmer-herder conflicts and rural kidnappings, which posed a significant threat to farming activities and livelihoods.
“There is a need to prioritise investments in essential rural infrastructure such as roads, irrigation systems, electricity supply and storage facilities through public-private partnerships to reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
“A comprehensive overhaul of the agricultural credit system is necessary to dismantle barriers related to collateral and residency, enabling smallholder farmers to access much-needed financial resources,’’ it said.
The report also highlighted the success of private-sector investments in produce such as tomatoes. (NAN)
Edited by Uche Anunne
Published By
-
Editor/Assistant Chief Correspondent,
FCT Correspondent,
NAN Abuja.
Has also recently published
MetroApril 13, 2025Tinubu pledges to boost road infrastructure nationwide 
ForeignApril 13, 2025Hollywood jitters over U.S.-China tariff war
Oil & GasApril 11, 2025Align operations, investments with PIA framework for efficiency – SPE
Economy/BusinessApril 11, 2025Implementing SAPZs ‘ll create jobs, slash imports, boost naira — Adesina
