Zaria: Farmers across many parts of Kaduna State are increasingly abandoning staple food crops for vegetable production due to the high costs of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Prof. Faguji Ishiyaku, a former Executive Director at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, explained that this trend poses a significant risk to food security in the region.

Ishiyaku noted that the persistent high cost of agricultural inputs has deterred farmers from cultivating traditional crops like maize, as they foresee it being unprofitable. This shift towards cultivating vegetables such as pepper, chilli, soybean, and cowpea could make the country more reliant on foreign grain supplies, thereby threatening the economy. The professor warned that reduced grain supply could lead to increased food commodity prices, adversely affecting farmers who fail to produce sufficient quantities for their families.

Malam Ahmed Abubakar, a farmer in Zaria, highlighted the substantial change in cultivation patterns from crops like maize, sorghum, and rice to vegetables such as onions and okra. He attributed this shift to the falling prices of traditional crops in the commodities market, exacerbated by alleged grain imports into the country. Abubakar emphasized that the high costs of fertilisers and other production inputs render traditional crop cultivation economically unviable, while vegetable production offers better returns.

Abubakar stressed that the situation poses a serious threat to the Federal Government’s food security initiatives, noting a significant gap in maize production. He urged the government to provide subsidized fertiliser and other inputs to support farmers. Additionally, he mentioned advice from agricultural extension agents regarding planting schedules for maize, sorghum, and rice.

Alhaji Nuhu Aminu, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kaduna State Chapter, echoed these concerns, attributing the shift in cultivation to the prohibitive costs of farming inputs. He called for urgent measures to balance production and mitigate future food crises. Aminu lamented the lack of distribution of fertiliser and inputs by both the Federal and Kaduna State Governments for the 2025 wet season farming.