The Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal, States, and Local Governments to urgently roll out fertiliser and other agricultural input subsidies and to rehabilitate Silos nationwide.
The measure is aimed to stabilise food prices, protect farmers, and address growing food insecurity across the country.
The call followed a Motion by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), who highlighted the widening gap between declining farm-gate prices for produce and the persistently high cost of farm inputs.
Lawmakers warned that the trend threatens the survival of millions of smallholder farmers.
While acknowledging government interventions such as import waivers and special permits that have eased food prices for consumers, Senators noted that these measures have also distorted the market, harming local producers and farmers.
They pointed that the high cost of fertilisers, pesticides, and other inputs continues to reduce farmers’ income, create post-harvest losses, and discourage reinvestment ahead of the next planting season.
Senators called for broad-based agricultural input subsidies, accelerated investment in storage facilities, rural roads, processing centres, and irrigation systems.
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They also advocated a guaranteed off-take system, where government would purchase produce directly from farmers, store it in rehabilitated silos, and release it to the market during scarcity to buffer price spikes.
Senator Goje warned that failing to address the situation could waste farmers’ labour and resources, while worsening rural insecurity.
Senators Aliyu Wamakko and Mohammed Dandutse stressed the urgent need to motivate farmers, citing that a bag of fertiliser now sells for over N60,000 while a bag of maize costs less than N20,000.
Some senators, including Sunday Karimi and Ede Dafinone, urged balancing farmer support with affordable consumer prices, to avoid market distortions.
Attention also focused on idle storage facilities, with Senator Patrick Ndubueze calling for immediate utilisation to support agro-processing.
Senator Sani Musa added that proper distribution of inputs and recent investments in tractors and pesticides could significantly boost the 2026 harvest.
After amendments, the Senate adopted resolutions calling for fertiliser and input subsidies, investment in agricultural infrastructure, review of import waiver policies, and stronger collaboration with state governments.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed confidence that the resolutions would stabilise markets, support farmers, and ensure nationwide food availability, commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration for ongoing efforts.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
