Farmers in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory have raised alarm over the rising cost of fertilisers and agro-chemicals, warning that the trend threatens crop production and food sufficiency.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, the farmers described the situation as “worrisome,” noting that prices of key inputs have more than doubled in recent years.
Phillip Akuso, a farmer in Baran-goni community, said a bag of Golden Urea or NPK, which sold for between ₦35,000 and ₦37,000 last year, now costs about ₦47,000. Lower-grade NPK 20:10:10 is priced at ₦25,000.
“It keeps increasing every year, from ₦20,000 in 2023 to where we are today,” Akuso said. “You cannot sell a bag of corn and buy a bag of fertiliser. Yet, we need it for larger production.”
He linked the persistent hike to rising fuel costs, calling on government and stakeholders to ease farmers’ access to affordable inputs.
In Sabon-Gari, farmer Bawah Malik said many smallholders are now turning to organic manure such as poultry and cow dung to supplement crops. A bag of poultry manure, he said, costs between ₦5,000 and ₦6,000 but often requires advance booking due to high demand.
“If you need 20 bags of industrial fertiliser and cannot afford it, you have no option but to resort to organic manure in some portions,” Malik said. He appealed for subsidised inputs and soft loans for smallholder farmers.
Agricultural expert Tanimu Ibrahim explained that while industrial fertilisers supply high concentrations of nutrients for quick absorption, they risk long-term soil degradation. Organic manure, on the other hand, improves soil structure, water retention, and microbial activity, though its nutrient release is slower.
He urged policymakers to prioritise agriculture and address the challenges facing rural farmers, warning that persistent input costs could undermine national food security.
