₦airaland Forum

Garri is still expensive.

Raxxye:
Why do Nigerian farmers always prefer to impose high prices on Nigerians?
The other day it was rice farmers that were crying that they were losing money and were shutting down their factories and farms because the price of rice had crashed.
Today, cassava farmers want the prices to remain high up. Why are people like this sef?

Because of high input cost - fertilizers, pesticides, labour, etc. are sky-high. There's also insecurity and the state of our roads. Government wants to do nothing about that - so they're importing food. The result is that people can no longer make profit from farming and they will stop farming and we will start to rely mostly on imports. This will be bad for you because import prices can go up anytime - like we saw when wheat went sky-high after Russia invaded Ukraine. Another problem is that there will be high unemployment since young people can no longer earn from farming.

I hope you understand this explanation. Feel free to ask me further questions.

zero8zero:
When prices come down, farmers, transporters, oil marketers & others will be crying.

and when they are given the opportunity to profit from the system, they bastardise things and become lords on common man feeding fat on their groans

Image123:
No be only step, na staircase. Nigerians are generally super greedy if given chance and monopoly. Dem go rip you die.
These farmers were given money in the billions by government, especially Buhari. So many people collected money even without being farmers, just connection. Grow naija, grow naija, no show. Because of them, Buhari locked borders officially for years. These guys created artificial scarcity and sold at ridiculous inflation profits. Now, government has allowed import, they are taking steps. Wicked devils.

It's same thing in different sectors. See agent to help you for job, admission, visa, etc. They'll collect more than double of the official fees and block road to make sure it's only accessible to them. We have a bunch of religious devils all over.

The issue of funds diversion if the fault of the government, not farmers. You can blame Emefiele and his cronies, not farmers. At least, not genuine farmers. The EFCC and the Police should do their jobs. Border closure was a bad idea, and I said so at the time. Just as what's going on now (massive imports) are a bad idea. Here's what government ought to do:
1. Fix the problems of the agric sector - insecurity, roads, police extortion, etc. This will reduce farm input cost.
2. Consider subsiding farm input - fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, machinery, etc. (Other countries do this, that's why their farmers are able to export cheaply and put our farmers out of business).
3. Allow export, so that farmers can earn forex (this encourages more farming and guarantees food security in the long term).
4. Allow imports, so that farmers can't hike prices and take advantage of the Nigerian consumer (this protects the little guy and keeps the farmer happy since he can still make profit because his input cost isn't too high).

The step government is taking now (allow imports without addressing agric sector problems) will make farming unprofitable. That will discourage farming and put us almost entirely at the mercy imports/importers. The long-term economic consequences won't be pretty. Forget the crashing prices of rice - that's temporary.

Sibrah:
The capacity to process what is being produced in raw form is the issue on one hand and the market shift on another.
During PDP years when there was excess harvest, they embraced bread making with cassava flour. I hope Tinubu doesnt wait 6 more years before embracing what works for all.

Cassava bread was a great idea. Never really took off because our bakeries aren't tooled for it.

jchioma:
You guys may need to count your losses and re-strategize for the long term. Foodstuffs prices are quite high and the government needs to intervene by possibly introducing consistent support mechanisms to the farmers.
Likewise cement, these things are produced locally here in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, they're not doing bolded. Just import - the lazy man's way out. In the end, once farming is not profitable, many will stop farming, and our food security will be gone.

Spandau:
Was Tinubu president in 2015?

Did APC begin ruling in 2023?

😏😏😏😏😏😏

JuanDeDios:
It's you who will suffer it - when farmers go out of business. Smh.

I will suffer nothing when wicked farmers go out of business

donpata:
Because we are cursed with dumb leaders, we will continue to suffer. It is suicide to support importation against local production. Same thing is happening to maize production. Fertilizer is still very expensive and so are herbicides and pesticides. Rather than addressing these challenges for long term sustainable agricultural development, government is now taking the lazy man's way for temporary gains due to elections.

Even a newborn baby knows that the disastrous level of insecurity in the country especially in the north, is the major cause of high food prices since many farming communities have been displaced. Rather than address this terrible issue head-on, government has resorted to window dressing for temporary gains and more trouble later.

I see ignorant comments where people are blaming the farmers for not using the opportunity wisely. That line of argument is a consequence of zero knowledge of basic economics. The farmers are to a large extent, victims of the situation we find ourselves.

Hoarding is a crime, and most of our farmers lack the capacity to hold onto their produces longer than two to three months cos they simply sell and buy fertilizer and other farm inputs as well as household groceries. The hoarders are the corrupt politicians and biz people with warehouses, and with capacity to store these products for years. Again, rather than targeting these persons, the government is allowing more importation, the lazy-man solution.

The people benefiting from the agricultural value chain locally are large. All these drama will just make them jobless. I understand there is hunger in the land but government should take up the responsibility of tackling insecurity and dealing with their hoarder friends so that food can be cheap. Subsidy for farming inputs are also great. Afterall, the farmers in countries we are importing from are heavily subsidized by their govts. Y not we? Why kill local industry. BUNCH OF MEDIOCRES.

Why calling people mediocre when they argued their point with facts? Buhari iadministration invested in farming in Nigeria.
But I wonder what the masses gained from Buhari massive investment in agriculture.
Rather increased insecurity to sabotage the masses.
Except you are not in Nigeria, we all knew how farmers and merchants sabotage Buhari rice project.

JuanDeDios:
Because of high input cost - fertilizers, pesticides, labour, etc. are sky-high. There's also insecurity and the state of our roads. Government wants to do nothing about that - so they're importing food. The result is that people can no longer make profit from farming and they will stop farming and we will start to rely mostly on imports. This will be bad for you because import prices can go up anytime - like we saw when wheat went sky-high after Russia invaded Ukraine. Another problem is that there will be high unemployment since young people can no longer earn from farming.

I hope you understand this explanation. Feel free to ask me further questions.

Well. Thanks for your explanation, though it's not enough to make me support the farmers' quest for increased food prices so they can make profit; that doesn't just make sense to me.
High food prices would encourage young people to go into farming because it would be profitable, while the majority of the populace would die of starvation because food would be beyond their reach. Think about it!

donpata:
Because we are cursed with dumb leaders, we will continue to suffer. It is suicide to support importation against local production. Same thing is happening to maize production. Fertilizer is still very expensive and so are herbicides and pesticides. Rather than addressing these challenges for long term sustainable agricultural development, government is now taking the lazy man's way for temporary gains due to elections.

Even a newborn baby knows that the disastrous level of insecurity in the country especially in the north, is the major cause of high food prices since many farming communities have been displaced. Rather than address this terrible issue head-on, government has resorted to window dressing for temporary gains and more trouble later.

I see ignorant comments where people are blaming the farmers for not using the opportunity wisely. That line of argument is a consequence of zero knowledge of basic economics. The farmers are to a large extent, victims of the situation we find ourselves.

Hoarding is a crime, and most of our farmers lack the capacity to hold onto their produces longer than two to three months cos they simply sell and buy fertilizer and other farm inputs as well as household groceries. The hoarders are the corrupt politicians and biz people with warehouses, and with capacity to store these products for years. Again, rather than targeting these persons, the government is allowing more importation, the lazy-man solution.

The people benefiting from the agricultural value chain locally are large. All these drama will just make them jobless. I understand there is hunger in the land but government should take up the responsibility of tackling insecurity and dealing with their hoarder friends so that food can be cheap. Subsidy for farming inputs are also great. Afterall, the farmers in countries we are importing from are heavily subsidized by their govts. Y not we? Why kill local industry. BUNCH OF MEDIOCRES.

Cassava farming is mostly in the South. Why is the cost still high when the product is locally produced and processed?

When the prices comes down and the cost of production is still high, tell me how farmers will produce enough food for you? Some will run out of capital and the numbers of farmers will reduce while production reduced too and the little ones that were produced will still skyrocket..

Chinese manufacturing is financed by the CCP through their strategic subsidy programs. Their trade and economy is weaponized for success, Nigeria can do same, but our business owners will rather move the funds to sponsor their expensive lifestyles and steal the rest.

Nigeria needs a One-Party System, with Death Penalty on financial misappropriation of Government funds. Then we can weaponize the economic and financial system for success.

donpata:
Because we are cursed with dumb leaders, we will continue to suffer. It is suicide to support importation against local production. Same thing is happening to maize production. Fertilizer is still very expensive and so are herbicides and pesticides. Rather than addressing these challenges for long term sustainable agricultural development, government is now taking the lazy man's way for temporary gains due to elections.

Even a newborn baby knows that the disastrous level of insecurity in the country especially in the north, is the major cause of high food prices since many farming communities have been displaced. Rather than address this terrible issue head-on, government has resorted to window dressing for temporary gains and more trouble later.

I see ignorant comments where people are blaming the farmers for not using the opportunity wisely. That line of argument is a consequence of zero knowledge of basic economics. The farmers are to a large extent, victims of the situation we find ourselves.

Hoarding is a crime, and most of our farmers lack the capacity to hold onto their produces longer than two to three months cos they simply sell and buy fertilizer and other farm inputs as well as household groceries. The hoarders are the corrupt politicians and biz people with warehouses, and with capacity to store these products for years. Again, rather than targeting these persons, the government is allowing more importation, the lazy-man solution.

The people benefiting from the agricultural value chain locally are large. All these drama will just make them jobless. I understand there is hunger in the land but government should take up the responsibility of tackling insecurity and dealing with their hoarder friends so that food can be cheap. Subsidy for farming inputs are also great. Afterall, the farmers in countries we are importing from are heavily subsidized by their govts. Y not we? Why kill local industry. BUNCH OF MEDIOCRES.

The issue of security takes time and results won’t happen overnight. Do you want gov to wait for security to get resolved while prices skyrocket? When security gets better and local manufacturers can produce more, then you can be more stringent on imports.

sulaak:
Cassava farming is mostly in the South. Why is the cost still high when the product is locally produced and processed?

Where is your naira exchanging for one USD at N1,600 or minimum wage at N70,000?

They should target export markets. That's what the Chinese do - source cassava, process and export everything.

Alternatively, site your cassava starch factory in a neighbouring West African country, say Benin Republic, and sell to Nigeria. The cost of labour should be lower there.

Didijiji:
Did APC begin ruling in 2023?

😏😏😏😏😏😏

No. Buhari ruled for 8 years as Nigeria president. He is in APC. Tinubu is president now in APC. Both men are not the same. So if you want someone to accuse and abuse, be specific and stop behaving like something I can't mention.

Local producers are crooks that takes advantage of monopoly to hike the price of local goods. Why will I buy local if foreign is cheaper and better in quality and why would I buy foreign if local is cheaper and of good quality.

Congrats to the Nigerian consumers they are the one benefiting now

Putindbutt:
See this one... The President was not talking about foods... He had given you enough opportunity to bring down food prices but una no gree. Government will help you crash the price, make una no worry.

So APC's grand idea of enhancing the economy is by killing local industries with import of cheap and fake goods
Una get sense tru tru

Spandau:
No. Buhari ruled for 8 years as Nigeria president. He is in APC. Tinubu is president now in APC. Both men are not the same. So if you want someone to accuse and abuse, be specific and stop behaving like something I can't mention.

I don't remember APC criers making a distinction when shouting 16 years of PDP sha
APC bell boys are hypocrites

saintmm:
Why calling people mediocre when they argued their point with facts? Buhari iadministration invested in farming in Nigeria.
But I wonder what the masses gained from Buhari massive investment in agriculture.
Rather increased insecurity to sabotage the masses.
Except you are not in Nigeria, we all knew how farmers and merchants sabotage Buhari rice project.

Buhari did not invest in farming
He simply threw money at politicians and political urchins then believed their lies that they've harvested massively. No serious govt looks to solve a problem just by throwing money at it. That's why you should have a food or agric programme

JuanDeDios:
The issue of funds diversion if the fault of the government, not farmers. You can blame Emefiele and his cronies, not farmers. At least, not genuine farmers. The EFCC and the Police should do their jobs. Border closure was a bad idea, and I said so at the time. Just as what's going on now (massive imports) are a bad idea. Here's what government ought to do:
1. Fix the problems of the agric sector - insecurity, roads, police extortion, etc. This will reduce farm input cost.
2. Consider subsiding farm input - fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, machinery, etc. (Other countries do this, that's why their farmers are able to export cheaply and put our farmers out of business).
3. Allow export, so that farmers can earn forex (this encourages more farming) and guarantees food security in the long term.
4. Allow imports, so that farmers can't hike prices and take advantage of the Nigerian consumer (this protects the little guy and keeps the farmer happy since he can still make profit because his input cost isn't too high).

The step government is taking now (allow imports without addressing agric sector problems) will make farming unprofitable. That will discourage farming and put us almost entirely at the mercy imports/importers. The long-term economic consequences won't be pretty. Forget the crashing prices of rice - that's temporary.

Zombies don't have the ability to think
They are only good at supporting whatever their political masters do
The same clowns who supported border closure shouting border remain closed and calling anyone who spoke against the idea are smuggler are the same ones defending imports today. You see say dem no get head so

Raxxye:
Well. Thanks for your explanation, though it's not enough to make me support the farmers' quest for increased food prices so they can make profit; that doesn't just make sense to me.
High food prices would encourage young people to go into farming because it would be profitable, while the majority of the populace would die of starvation because food would be beyond their reach. Think about it!

I've thought about it. We need a solution that gives something to the farmer and gives something to the masses. We should never satisfy one and leave the other poorer because there will be serious economic consequences, whichever one.

That's why I wrote this post:

The issue of funds diversion is the fault of the government, not farmers. You can blame Emefiele and his cronies, not farmers. At least, not genuine farmers. The EFCC and the Police should do their jobs. Border closure was a bad idea, and I said so at the time. Just as what's going on now (massive imports) are a bad idea. Here's what government ought to do:
1. Fix the problems of the agric sector - insecurity, roads, police extortion, etc. This will reduce farm input cost.
2. Consider subsiding farm input - fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, machinery, etc. (Other countries do this, that's why their farmers are able to export cheaply and put our farmers out of business).
3. Allow export, so that farmers can earn forex (this encourages more farming) and guarantees food security in the long term.
4. Allow imports, so that farmers can't hike prices and take advantage of the Nigerian consumer (this protects the little guy and keeps the farmer happy since he can still make profit because his input cost isn't too high).

The step government is taking now (allow imports without addressing agric sector problems) will make farming unprofitable. That will discourage farming and put us almost entirely at the mercy imports/importers. The long-term economic consequences won't be pretty. Forget the crashing prices of rice - that's temporary.

JuanDeDios:
The issue of funds diversion if the fault of the government, not farmers. You can blame Emefiele and his cronies, not farmers. At least, not genuine farmers. The EFCC and the Police should do their jobs. Border closure was a bad idea, and I said so at the time. Just as what's going on now (massive imports) are a bad idea. Here's what government ought to do:
1. Fix the problems of the agric sector - insecurity, roads, police extortion, etc. This will reduce farm input cost.
2. Consider subsiding farm input - fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, machinery, etc. (Other countries do this, that's why their farmers are able to export cheaply and put our farmers out of business).
3. Allow export, so that farmers can earn forex (this encourages more farming and guarantees food security in the long term).
4. Allow imports, so that farmers can't hike prices and take advantage of the Nigerian consumer (this protects the little guy and keeps the farmer happy since he can still make profit because his input cost isn't too high).

The step government is taking now (allow imports without addressing agric sector problems) will make farming unprofitable. That will discourage farming and put us almost entirely at the mercy imports/importers. The long-term economic consequences won't be pretty. Forget the crashing prices of rice - that's temporary.

It appears that you live in heaven. Everything you mentioned is been done already and more.

Putindbutt:
See this one... The President was not talking about foods... He had given you enough opportunity to bring down food prices but una no gree. Government will help you crash the price, make una no worry.

Crash price of food and other items by importing?

Is that how China and other Asian tiger economies became prosperous like we were under PDP for 16 years instead of the extreme poverty shege by APC since 2015 despite their ofege change promised?

thisweekng:
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Chief Olawale Edun has said the last time Nigeria’s economy looked stable was about a decade ago.

He made this statement during his maiden press conference as Minister of Finance where he outlined President Bola Tinubu’s vision, agenda and strategy for the economy.

He said, “I think as we all know, we are not where we should be. The economy is barely growing above the rate of population growth.

“But it was not always so, and I think in trying to look at the way forward, if we now have a situation of slow growth, double-digit inflation, weak/depreciating exchange rate, as well as security concerns that are resulting in an economy that is not growing and not taking Nigerians out of poverty.

“If we think back to the last time when the economy was stable- when it was growing, when inflation was low, and the interest rate was affordable, that period was about a decade ago. Growth was about 6% in 2013 and 2014.”
Private sector to drive the economy

https://thisweekng.com/the-last-time-nigerias-economy-was-stable-was-about-a-decade-ago-wale-edun/

BigDawsNet:
Sign of working country

Food is cheap

Sign of a LOST country.

Food is imported and nothing MORE valuable is being exported to pay for the food imports like developed countries do.

Why is ebilokan failing to do what he promised

Majesty2:
The APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has revealed how he will drive the economy of the country, strengthen the Naira and making the country "import less" while "exporting more".




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCskn6CbuqA

Image123:
It appears that you live in heaven. Everything you mentioned is been done already and more.

No, sir. Not a single one has been done. At least, not on a sustained basis. Currently, we're importing food massively (3) because we recently had a food crisis and the government is already thinking about the election in two years time. Ok, so let's say 4 has been done (but note that without addressing 1 and 2, massive imports will only kill and bury our agric sector).

But 1? Really?

2? FG subsidized fertilizer during the Jonathan era, but not so much anymore. Pesticides and machinery? Not. Ok, a few states are doing something, but even there only a few LGs are covered mostly. I farm, and I can assure you that nobody has ever subsidized anything for me. Not to the tune of N1. My friends too.

3? No way. They treat farmers and traders in Kebbi like criminals for exporting rice through the Niger border. They call them "unpatriotic" and all sorts of names and seize their trucks. EFCC, DSS, police - they all hunt farmers and traders like common criminals for the crime of exporting food! It's the say way Customs are always hunting and seizing rice at the Cotonou border (as if rice is plutonium) when our people are hungry and need food.

adonainana:
Nigeria

Prices are high we complain

Government opens up borders for cheap substitutes to come in

Prices crash and people are still complaining

Besides if the ton of cassava fell by half why is a kg of garri being sold in the market still the same price

How sustainable is food imports that makes our Naira weaker because we are not producing greater value exports to pay for the food imports?

anonimi:
Neo-black Problem: Must Blacks Be Ruled by Whites in Order to Prosper?

In short, the neo-black dilemma may be framed as follows: is it better to live under white rule without political dignity but with basic life-sustaining standards for many;

or to live under black rule with illusory political dignity and without basic life- sustaining standards for the majority?
@
@
The path forward for Africa lies in cultivating higher and adequate levels of personal and communal agential integrity as well as full personal responsibility and productivity. Not to mention creativity (including epistemic creativity), productive justice (such as merit and freedom), harmony and reconciliation at local and international levels, and a proper domestication of capitalism and other related values and institutions.

Africa must stop wasting her time on dreams of socialism because it is a system of wealth distribution primarily. Whereas, capitalism is a system of wealth creation primarily, and wealth has to be produced before it can be distributed.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/12/neo-black-problem-must-blacks-be-ruled-by-whites-in-order-to-prosper/

JuanDeDios:
No, sir. Not a single one has been done. At least, not on a sustained basis. Currently, we're importing food massively (3) because we recently had a food crisis and the government is already thinking about the election in two years time. Ok, so let's say 4 has been done (but note that without addressing 1 and 2, massive imports will only kill and bury our agric sector).

But 1? Really?

2? FG subsidized fertilizer during the Jonathan era, but not so much anymore. Pesticides and machinery? Not. Ok, a few states are doing something, but even there only a few LGs are covered mostly. I farm, and I can assure you that nobody has ever subsidized anything for me. Not to the tune of N1. My friends too.

3? No way. They treat farmers and traders in Kebbi like criminals for exporting rice through the Niger border. They call them "unpatriotic" and all sorts of names and seize their trucks. EFCC, DSS, police - they all hunt farmers and traders like common criminals for the crime of exporting food! It's the say way Customs are always hunting and seizing rice at the Cotonou border (as if rice is plutonium) when our people are hungry and need food.

https://x.com/woye1/status/1922248369725943934?t=9IXN7bZg4poONRLEqZ_2jg&s=19

Check many of Woye's tweets and videos on agriculture. Woye is special adviser to the minister of agriculture. Nigeria is a big place so i am not saying there's no problem in your place, it's possible. But i can very well see progress in many other places with video, picture and other steady evidence.
As for number 1, the ministry of works is also doing very well on roads. Hopefully your state government and local government are doing their bit as well.
And why are you exporting rice when we don't have enough? The government is giving all kinds of help to make food available for Nigerians and kebbi wants to export them? SMH
Exporting rice from Nigeria is illegal. The Nigerian Export Prohibition Act prohibits the export of rice, along with other food items like beans, maize, and yam. Any attempt to export these goods is considered an offense under the law.

https://placng.org/lawsofnigeria/view2.php?sn=145

You export cash crops, not food crops. How can we not have enough and you are exporting?

Image123:
And why are you exporting rice when we don't have enough? The government is giving all kinds of help to make food available for Nigerians and kebbi wants to export them? SMH

This is the only part I want to respond to. SS2 economics - that's your answer. Do you know why the West is so rich compared to the rest of the world? Open markets. Why China is far richer than India? Open markets. Exporting when you don't have enough works if you also allow imports so that the masses are not short-changed. In the end, things will balance out and everyone will be better off. But how to make Nigerians understand this? Not sure, unless I'm allowed to force them back to SS2.

You're fine with imports (because it can help make food affordable for our people, a sentiment I share), but you have a problem with exports (which will earn forex for our farmers to expand the agric sector and produce more food, creating employment and guaranteeing food security). This thinking, which reflects a very poor understanding of market economics, is why many countries are poor.

JuanDeDios:
This is the only part I want to respond to. SS2 economics - that's your answer. Do you know why the West is so rich compared to the rest of the world? Open markets. Why China is far richer than India? Same reason.

You're fine with imports (because it can help make food affordable for our people, a sentiment I share), but you have a problem with exports (which will earn forex for our farmers to expand the agric sector and produce more food, creating employment and guaranteeing food security). This thinking, which reflects a very poor understanding of market economics, is why many countries are poor.

Exporting rice from Nigeria is illegal. The Nigerian Export Prohibition Act prohibits the export of rice, along with other food items like beans, maize, and yam. Any attempt to export these goods is considered an offense under the law.

https://placng.org/lawsofnigeria/view2.php?sn=145

You export cash crops, not food crops. How can we not have enough and you are exporting?

World best practice, not SS 2 work:

Ensure domestic needs are met first.

Promote sustainable farming practices.

Support fair trade and equitable access to land and resources.