Speaking of Data...The Understated Importance of Basic Agricultural Inputs
Agricultural productivity in Nigeria faces numerous intertwined challenges, including climate change, infrastructural deficits, and global disruptions that make it difficult to feed its growing population. However, at the core of these issues is the critical challenge of accessing and utilizing basic agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery. This problem persists even before considering more advanced inputs necessary for climate-smart and precision agriculture.
Insights from various sources such as FAO, NBS and prominent researchers have indicated that adopting improved seed varieties can increase maize yields by up to 38.7%, irrigation can nearly double that of rainfed rice, and mechanization can improve productivity by 40% through increased operational efficiency. Despite these proven benefits, the utilization and accessibility of these inputs remain alarmingly low.
According to Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, more than 80% of Nigeria's land suffers from severe nitrogen deficiency, over 75% faces serious phosphorus deficiency, and more than 60% experiences moderate to severe potassium deficiency. However, the average fertilizer use in the country stands at only 20 kg/ha, significantly below the global average of 113 kg/ha and countries like South Africa and Egypt. This insufficient application rate is similarly reflected across different crops grown in the country.
Furthermore, less than 5% of Nigerian farmers use improved seed varieties across major commodities such as maize, rice, and soybeans according to NBS. This low adoption rate contributes to Nigeria's average cereal yield of 1.65 MT/ha, which falls short of the yields seen in countries like Cote D'Ivoire (2.2 MT/ha), South Africa (5.2 MT/ha), and the global average (4.2 MT/ha).
The country's tractor density, at 0.27 horsepower per hectare, is far below the FAO's recommended threshold of 1.5 horsepower per hectare, indicating a severe deficit in mechanized farming capabilities. Furthermore, only about 1% of Nigerian small-scale farmers irrigate their croplands, and around 50% of crop production in the country is lost annually due to pest and disease outbreaks.
Despite numerous governmental programs such as Growth Enhancement Support Scheme, Presidential Fertilizer Initiatives and innovative solutions from private and non-governmental organizations aimed at improving the agricultural input sector in Nigeria, significant challenges persist. These include inadequate infrastructure hindering input distribution, financial constraints limiting farmers' access to quality inputs, regulatory issues allowing counterfeit products, dependence on imports for raw materials, and insufficient farmer knowledge on using improved inputs effectively.
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The situation of farmer knowledge is particularly dire as the ratio of extension workers to farmers in Nigeria is approximately 1 to 3,000 well below the recommended 1 to 500.
However, there are viable solutions that could help Nigeria realize its agricultural potential and become a food basket for Africa.
Improving accessibility and utilization of agricultural inputs in Nigeria could be pivotal in achieving long-term food security and sustainability while driving economic growth. It is important for all stakeholders—government, private sector, and farmers—to collaborate closely to make a self-sufficient agricultural industry a reality in Nigeria.
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International Commodity Trade | Business Development |
3 个月Its high time responsibility is publicly declared to the concerned individuals/institutions/sectors and at the end of the crop year, those responsibility should be called out by their names in a form of performance review. We've majored in discussing food security as an issue and minored on strategy and implementation. The Nigerian Agric ecosystem has such potential just waiting and I mean it, just waiting to be induced into greatness. We've got the population and we have the landmass. We have the desire even if its largely caused by hunger. With the smallest aid and intervention (in truth and not just some social media charade) and of course adequate follow up on integrity of progress, an average Nigeria farmer will surpass current par and exceed expectation. Kudos AFEX , It's good to have such reports making adequate comparison and addressing the gap between our current reality and what is possible taking international averages. 50% post harvest losses is serious violation against man and God. Nigerian 20Kg/ha:113Kg/ha fertiliser usage when compared to international average is a direct indicator that something is wrong.
I agree! There are also vast lands that has been abandoned over time due to insecurity of these areas which has led to a sharp decline of farm productivity.
Chief Executive Officer
3 个月You have really done well with this analytic presentation about the poor state of Agricultural production and proceeds,- Sir!! I will Say Poor Governance is our problem for Agriculture in Nigeria. Nigeria, was the largest producer and exporter of palm oil, cocoa and groundnuts, before the advent of the Crude Oil. The much dependance and concentration of our forex in this Country on proceeds from crude oil, abandoning AGRICULTURAL SOURCES , is our actual problem. I have a plan that 8 can use to assist the Govt, to bounce the Nation back through Agricultural Revolutionary measures. Am ready to give my expertise ideas on how we can improve our resources from Agriculture BACK in a short time.