Some farmers in Gombe have expressed concern over the galloping drop in grain prices as they began harvesting crops.
They said the trend negatively impacted their incomes and made agriculture less attractive.
A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday at the Gombe Central and Tudun Hatsi grain markets showed that prices crashed by over 40 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.
NAN also reports that traders are facing market glut amid low patronage of the produce.
A 100-kilogramne bag of maize was sold at N20,000, beans N80,000, and local processed rice N100,000 as against its previous prices of N60,000; N145,000 and N130,000, respectively. .
Also, a bag of paddy rice was sold N25,000; groundnut N95,000, wheat N70,000, millet N22,000, soybean NN60,000 as against it’s old prices of N170,000; N120,000, N56,000, and N110,000, respectively.
Traders at the markets attributed the trend to significant increase in the supply ocassioned by the anticipated bumper harvest and import of food items.
Ali Musa, Secretary, Tudun Hatsi Grain Market, said the price crash could also be linked to low patronage of the produce.
He said that prices would further drop as farmers began harvesting their crops culminating to the spiral in grain supply to the market.
While lamenting the poor market condition, Musa said consumers were not buying grains due to paucity of funds.
“People complain of lack of money to buy grains,” he said.
Musa noted that many grain dealers who mopped up grains last season recorded losses due to the price crash, adding that, “they are not buying grains now to protect their investments.
“Most of them are yet to sell the grains they bought the previous year, prices crashed and many are left with no option but to sell at a give away price,” he said.
However, farmers argued that the drop in grain prices exposed them to losses too considering the exorbitant prices of fertilisers/inputs, labour and transportation.
Malam Zakari, a farmer at Hinna community in Yemaltu/Deba Local Government Area, said they no longer get good returns from their investments.
“Farmers who are cultivating fertiliser-dependent crops such maize, rice and wheat no longer make profits from cultivating such crops,” he said.
He urged government at all levels to adopt proactive measures to enhance farmer access to fertilisers, inputs, agric financing and insurance programmes, to encourage productivity and achieve food security. (NAN)