The Senate noted that the high cost of fertilisers and other farm inputs are worsening post-harvest losses and threatening the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.
The Senate on Tuesday urged the federal, state and local governments to subsidise fertiliser for farmers to cushion the impact of rising input costs and stabilise food prices across the country.
The upper chamber made the resolution after adopting a motion sponsored by Gombe Central Senator, Danjuma Goje, during the plenary.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Mr Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, while presenting the motion, acknowledged that although the prices of some food commodities had begun to decline, the cost of farm inputs, particularly fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides have remained extremely high.
He noted that the situation had led to massive post-harvest losses, as many farmers were unable to sell their produce at fair or profitable prices, resulting in wastage, spoilage, income erosion, and serious nutritional and economic setbacks for farming communities.
The senator noted that the development poses a grave threat to the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers who constitute the backbone of Nigeria's food production system and depend almost entirely on agriculture as their primary source of income.
Mr Goje therefore urged the Senate to encourage the federal government to design and implement a comprehensive Special Emergency Intervention Package for farmers affected by the current collapse in agricultural produce prices, to cushion their losses and ensure household stability.
He also called for the establishment of a Benchmark Minimum Price Framework for major agricultural commodities, alongside a Guaranteed Off-take Programme under which the government would purchase produce directly from farmers at benchmark prices to stabilise the market.
In addition, the senator urged a review of the current import waiver and special import permit policies to enable Nigerian agricultural produce to compete favourably with imported alternatives.
Debate
Sokoto North Senator, Aliyu Wamakko, who seconded the motion, described the high cost of fertiliser as alarming and called for urgent action to enable farmers increase production.
The senator representing Katsina South, Muntari Dandutse, lamented that while a bag of fertiliser now costs about ₦50,000, a bag of maize produced with it sells for as low as ₦10,000.
The senator for Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, urged the government to provide incentives for farmers but disagreed with fertiliser subsidies.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Ondo Central Senator, Oladele Ipinsagba, advocated policies to regulate the prices of food commodities, transportation and other essential services.
The Senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, called on the government to make farm inputs more affordable, while Lagos West Senator, Idiat Oluranti, questioned why state and local governments were not doing more to support farmers in their respective areas.
After deliberations, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to a voice vote, and it received overwhelming support from the lawmakers.
Inflation
Nigeria is grappling with persistent food inflation driven largely by rising production costs, insecurity in farming communities, climate-related disruptions, and supply chain challenges.
Although recent market trends suggest a gradual moderation in the prices of some food items, farmers continue to face escalating costs of critical inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides and improved seedlings, significantly squeezing profit margins and discouraging large-scale cultivation.
Smallholder farmers, who account for the bulk of Nigeria's food production, have been particularly affected, with many unable to recover production costs due to poor pricing, limited access to storage facilities and weak government-backed market support mechanisms.
The absence of guaranteed pricing and off-take arrangements has also exposed farmers to post-harvest losses and price volatility, worsening rural poverty and food insecurity.
