Food inflation will persist until crops germinate, says Agric Minister

Aliyu Abdullah, Minister of State for Agriculture, has said that food prices will remain high until crops planted in this rainy season germinate into food. He disclosed this in a recent exclusive interview with Channels.

“Agriculture has a time frame. Now, a lot of production is ongoing. We are in the rainy season and if you look at the fields, there is a lot of cropping going on. Those croppings are not food. They will only translate to food after three months. So, until then, this story you are talking about will continue,” he said.

He further stated that the Federal Government was working to ensure food security and cheaper food costs for Nigerians through various interventions.

Read also: Analysts see inflation moderating in July on food importation

“You will see a lot of programmes trying to dampen the situation. All of this is designed over some time to raise the farmers’ productivity by removing the drudgery associated with farming.”

“This rainy season, we are targeting the food commodity crops, rice, maize, millet, sorghum, cassava, and soybean. We realized over the past years, that we have not been taking our dry-season farming very seriously. And you cannot just depend on rain-fed agriculture and be food secure,” he stated.

The prices of food items in Africa’s most populous nation continue to soar without a break, as the prices of garri, bread and yam drove food inflation to 40.87 percent in June 2024, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows.

Also, Monthly, food inflation increased by 0.26 percent to 2.55 percent in June 2024 from the 2.28 percent recorded in May 2024.

BusinessDay’s market survey showed that prices of a 4-litre paint container measure of yellow garri now sells for an average of N4,000 as against N3,000 sold in March 2024, while a slice of bread now sells for an average of N1,500 from N800 last year.

The prices of yams have also increased by 66.67 percent in Lagos from an average of N3,000 for a tuber in February to an average of N5,000 in June 2024.

Read also: Food inflation quickens to 40.8% as garri, bread prices rise

Aliyu stated that the government planned to implement a duty-free food import policy for the rainy season to lessen the looming food crisis

“We’re looking at the possibility of importing some food within this lean period. That’s why it’s not just an open blanket thing. And right now, the guidelines around it are being worked out, because it’s the policy pronouncement you’ve just had,” he stated.

Aliyu also revealed that the government was working on a price control mechanism to keep food prices from going through the roof.

“Yes, as part of the guarantee minimum price mechanism, all of those things are part of the guidelines being worked out along this import window that we’re talking about. Because what the government will do in this kind of situation is find the time to bring in food for the lean period, at least you don’t want your people to starve,” he said.