The rising cases the coronavirus pandemic in Kano State could trigger a food shortage in Africa’s most populous nation if the government fails to take proactive measures to mitigate the severity of a looming food crisis, farmers say.
Kano has emerged as one huge burial ground owing to the recent deaths in the state suspected to be linked to COVID-19, although investigations are ongoing to ascertain the true causes of the deaths.
Kano/Kaduna axis accounts for 75 percent of Nigeria’s fresh fruits and vegetables, with the rest of Katsina, Benue, Kebbi, Sokoto and Jos sharing the rest 25 percent. The state also controls most of the grains in the market, including rice, maize, beans and millet.
With the two-week lockdown already in place, rapid spread of COVID-19 in the ancient city could trigger high food prices and upset a number of manufacturing companies relying on the state and north-west region for inputs.
Farmers who spoke with BusinessDay said food crisis is imminent because the pandemic has already obstructed the country’s fragmented farming supply chain which has led to the recent spike in food prices.
They also foresee high prices based on the ongoing Muslim Ramadan period – when most farmers tend to be less productive due to their religious obligations.
They further said that the country is approaching the peak period of the wet season – May through July – when vegetables such as tomatoes and pepper become scarce owing to their inability to do well during the period.
“We are going to experience food scarcity next year if the government fails to act now,” said Ibrahim Kabiru, national president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria.
“The coronavirus pandemic has obstructed the farming systems and the two-week lockdown of Kano State will further worsen the problem,” Kabiru said.
He called on the government to adopt disruptive innovative solutions to address the impact of the pandemic on the agricultural sector.
Since the lockdown started four weeks ago in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja, prices of key staples have surged by more than 20 percent across the country.
Similarly, the hunger rate has risen fast as the government fails to provide sufficient social safety net to protect the poor from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is going to be a food shortage next year and it is not just in Nigeria but globally,” said Abiodun Olorundenro, manager, Aquashoots Limited.
“The grains we are consuming now are the ones grown last year. We are supposed to start growing the ones for next year now but the pandemic has obstructed the supply of essential inputs,” Olorundenro said.
“If we are to avert this food crisis next year, we need to do much more to grow enough food this year,” he added.
He stated that the government has been trying to support the sector but much more will be required now, saying that inputs must be made available to farmers at affordable prices and security of lives and property must be guaranteed on farmlands.
Apart from Dangote Tomato located in Kano, other tomato paste or puree processors will be impacted by the spread of the virus as they rely on fresh tomatoes from Kano for inputs. Many flour millers and packaged food companies source their maize, wheat and other inputs from the Kano axis and would likely be hurt by that.
Ifeanyi Okeleke, managing director of Kenfrancis Farms, an agro-based manufacturing firm, said the spread of the virus in Kano could worsen an already high cost of inputs, piling more pressure on already stressed manufacturers’ margins.
Recently, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the coronavirus pandemic would push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation.
“There will be a 10 or 12 percent reduction of farm produce this year and if the coronavirus continues to spread to rural communities the reduction might get to 25 percent,” Ayodeji Balogun, country manager, AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited, said.
“We need to declare a state of emergency on the cultivation of wet farming and ensure that there is free movement of trucks conveying food on the roads and ports,” Balogun said.
Some analysts urge more participation in agriculture, urging Nigerians to embrace aeroponics (growing crops without the soil) while freezing their fruits for storage purposes.
ODINAKA ANUDU & JOSEPHINE OKOJIE
