Kaduna grain farmers lose N10 billion appeal for government aid

Kaduna State grain farmers have reported losses totaling N10.16 billion for the 2025 farming season and are appealing to the Federal Government for urgent intervention. The 2,143 farmers, spread across 23 local government areas, are seeking free or subsidised farm inputs to ease their financial strain.

These farmers operate under a maize‑farming scheme coordinated by Alhaji Rufai Muazu Dikko. The scheme, launched in 2017 with 1,000 ha, has expanded to 10,000 ha cultivated by the affected growers. Under the arrangement, the coordinator provides capital, inputs and logistics, while farmers repay in maize after harvest and sell any surplus for income.

The 2025 season proved disastrous. A 50 kg bag of NPK fertilizer sold for N60,000 and urea rose to N50,000 per bag, pushing the cost of cultivating one hectare of maize above N2 million, double the previous year’s N1 million. With an average yield of 45 bags of 100 kg per hectare, each bag would need to fetch N44,578 to break even. Instead, the market price collapsed to N22,000 per 100 kg bag, creating a loss of N22,577 per bag. From a total output of 450,000 bags harvested across 10,000 ha, the farmers calculated an aggregate loss of over N10.16 billion.

The farmers warned that, without urgent support, many producers—especially in northern Nigeria—may abandon farming in the 2026 season, jeopardising the government’s food‑security agenda. They have requested a bailout through the Central Bank in the form of free or heavily subsidised inputs such as fertilizer and urea for the 2026 season. In return, they propose to reimburse the government with maize equivalent to part of the inputs’ value at season’s end. They argue that such intervention would stabilise grain production, boost food availability and generate economic dividends.

Finally, the farmers have asked for an urgent meeting with government officials, noting that preparations for the next planting season will soon begin. Their appeal underscores the broader crisis facing maize farmers across Nigeria and highlights the need for prompt action to support the agricultural sector.