The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has said food production has increased under the current administration, but gaps in processing and distribution are still keeping prices high for consumers.

He explained that farm-gate prices have fallen, yet shoppers have not fully felt the benefit.

Speaking in an interview, Kyari noted that while production costs at the farm level have come down, agro-processing costs have not declined in the same way. This gap between the farm and the market continues to push up the final prices paid by consumers.

He attributed Nigeria’s continued reliance on food imports to rapid population growth, low productivity, limited access to land and the high cost of farm inputs. The country’s population is growing by about eight to nine million people each year, making it harder for food supply to keep pace.

The minister said the government is working to reduce dependence on processed food imports through mechanisation, local processing and the Special Agro-Processing Zones. These zones are designed to handle production, storage, processing and marketing, with several expected to come on stream soon.

Kyari also pointed to improved security that has allowed farmers to return to previously inaccessible farmlands. He projected that the 2026 harvest would exceed the bumper yield recorded in 2025, supported by better productivity, stabilised input prices and government interventions such as subsidised fertiliser and seeds.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper