Poor rainfall, rising input costs push up maize, rice prices in Adamawa

Detailed summary

Poor rainfall and rising agricultural input costs have reduced maize and rice production in parts of Adamawa State, pushing up prices of ...

Poor rainfall and rising agricultural input costs have reduced maize and rice production in parts of Adamawa State, pushing up prices of the staple food crops and increasing pressure on household budgets.

Findings by BusinessDay indicate that prolonged dry spells lasting more than a month during the farming season, coupled with rising fertiliser prices and other production costs, have affected crop yields and heightened concerns over food supply.

Although the end of the rainy season is traditionally a period of relief for farmers expecting bumper harvests, many farmers in Adamawa are facing a different experience this year, as inadequate rainfall has disrupted crop development and reduced expected output.

The situation has also forced some farmers to reconsider their choice of crops, with some abandoning maize cultivation, which they describe as capital-intensive and labour-demanding, in favour of soybeans and groundnuts, which require relatively lower production costs.

A farmer, Isa Engine, said the rising cost of cultivating maize had made production increasingly difficult for smallholder farmers, forcing some to switch to less expensive crops.

He explained that soybean cultivation required less labour and fewer financial resources than maize production, particularly in fertiliser application and frequent weeding.

“Farming soybeans is not costly. I do not need much effort; proper timing is enough. There is no stress of buying fertiliser or constant weeding,” he said.

Another farmer, Adamu Ganye, attributed the poor harvest in some farming communities to prolonged dry spells, which he said had affected the availability and prices of maize and rice, two major food staples consumed by low-income households.

Comparing current prices with those of the previous year, Ganye said a small bag of maize or rice, which sold for between N20,000 and N22,000, now costs about N35,000.

Opening of the article, excerpted from BusinessDay. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.