Photo File: Foodstuffs

The Federal Government has reported a steady decline in food prices and improved crop production across the country, according to the 2025 Agricultural Performance Survey (APS) report released on Wednesday.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, in a press statement, announced that the country had witnessed growth in the output of key staples, attributing the progress to improved supply conditions and ongoing government interventions.

“The report confirms steady growth in the production of major staples such as rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam and cassava, all of which show increases over 2024 levels,” the Minister stated.

He said the “significant drop in food prices across all zones” was a result of cumulative government initiatives in input support, extension service delivery, and mechanization.

The Minister commended the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University, and the Ministry’s technical departments for their input, describing the development as a new standard of excellence and transparency in national agricultural performance reporting.

“This survey remains one of the most essential instruments for evidence-based planning, monitoring, and policy direction in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. It provides us with a realistic picture of production outcomes, farmer experiences, and sectoral constraints, upon which informed decisions and targeted interventions can be built.

“The rigor of data collection, covering all 36 states and the FCT, the integration of new datasets such as the Farm Family Census and the Tractor Census, and the complementary studies on commodity prices demonstrate a new standard of excellence and transparency in national agricultural performance reporting.”

Kyari added that it was “particularly heartening to see that farmers across regions have demonstrated remarkable resilience despite irregular rainfall, localized flooding, and pest pressures.”

He, however, cautioned that rising input costs and weak postharvest infrastructure remained key obstacles, stressing that rising input costs, particularly for fertilizer and fuel, continue to limit productivity among smallholders. Mechanization coverage, though improving, remains uneven, and postharvest losses, especially in the South-West and North-Central zones, pose serious threats to food availability and farmers’ income.

He also highlighted challenges in the livestock and fisheries sectors, stating that “the survey’s documentation of livestock disease outbreaks and fisheries decline in certain regions underscores the need for stronger animal health systems, aquaculture development, and adaptive measures in response to climate variability.”

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to data-driven agricultural planning, the Minister announced plans to institutionalize a Dry Season Agricultural Performance Survey to complement the Wet Season exercise.

“We shall institutionalize the Dry Season Agricultural Performance Survey as a complement to the Wet Season APS, ensuring that national agricultural planning becomes a year-round, data-driven exercise,” he said.

He further outlined the Ministry’s next steps to include intensifying support for local fertilizer production, enhancing climate-smart agricultural initiatives, and strengthening extension systems by recruiting and equipping more agents, as well as leveraging digital tools to reach a greater number of farmers.

On mechanization and inclusion, Kyari emphasized the need to empower young people and women through technology and postharvest infrastructure, stating, “Equally, we recognize the urgency of modernizing mechanization services, promoting the inclusion of youth and women through affordable, labor-saving technologies, and investing in postharvest handling, storage and processing facilities to minimize losses and boost value addition.”

He pledged deeper collaboration with private sector players, research institutions, and subnational governments to sustain progress in the sector.

Reiterating the importance of the APS as a national knowledge asset, Kyari noted that the APS remains a national public good, and its continuity and integrity depend on the collective effort of all stakeholders, Federal and State Governments, research bodies, farmers’ associations, and development partners.

“Let us continue to strengthen this vital knowledge system that guides Nigeria’s journey towards sustainable food and nutrition security,” the Minister said.

Over the past two years, Nigeria’s food security landscape has faced multiple pressures, including high inflation, insecurity in farming communities, and climate shocks that disrupted production. In response, President Bola Tinubu’s administration declared a state of emergency on food security in July 2023, launching a series of interventions under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanization Programme, which included the deployment of 2,000 tractors nationwide.

These efforts, alongside initiatives to improve input distribution, strengthen extension services, and enhance institutional capacity, were designed to stabilize food supply and reduce dependency on imports.

The Federal Government also deepened collaboration with international partners to boost agricultural productivity and value addition.

Despite these efforts, challenges persist. Insecurity in farming areas continues to limit output, with studies showing measurable declines in both crop and livestock production. Climate variability, manifested through irregular rainfall and flooding, has further strained food production, while high input costs and weak postharvest infrastructure continue to undermine farmers’ profits.