Melvin Onwubuke
In view of the increasing cost of food staples in the country, an agronomist and entrepreneur, Dr. Joseph Effiong, has called on the Federal Government to take a look at introducing price controls for farm inputs.
This was disclosed while speaking at an event recently, in Lagos, according to Thisday.
Effiong stated that introducing price controls for farm inputs would go a long way in addressing the inflationary pressures on agricultural produce, and at the same time tame food insecurity,
Food inflation reached 35.41 % in January 2024 on a year-on-year basis, compared with 31.32 % recorded in January 2023.
Effiong noted that the cost of raw materials and farm inputs including fertilizer, seeds, crop protection, or operating costs had increased exponentially.
He explained that this, coupled with low agricultural produce from farmers due to the raging farmers-herders crisis was responsible for the food crisis, causing inflation.
“The food price crisis in Nigeria has reached alarming levels with essential commodities such as rice, beans, palm oil, and maize experiencing exorbitant price hikes, pushing them further out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
“It is disheartening to witness a significant portion of the population being forced into hunger and poverty due to circumstances beyond their control,” he expounded.
To this end, he recommended that the government first support the price of agricultural products by controlling the prices of agricultural inputs in order to avoid swindling and fraudulent operators.
He called on the government to step up measures against insecurity, to enhance local agricultural production.
He said “It will do the country further well to stop paying lip service to infrastructure development. FG must as a matter of fact provide food subsidies and promote increased productivity among farmers. This will not only promote self-sufficiency but also stabilize food prices in the long run.”
Furthermore, he called for the establishment of a food reserve, investment in storage and distribution as well as support for sustainable agriculture.
