Farmers in Ebonyi State have raised alarm over the worsening state of agriculture, as the cost of farming inputs continues to soar while the market value of their produce plummets—pushing many into debt and deepening rural poverty.
Mr. Joseph Egede, a farmer from Alibaruhu Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area, yesterday spoke with journalists about the devastating effect of the economic downturn on local farmers.
According to him, the situation has reached a breaking point, with many farmers unable to recoup their investments.
“Fertilizer used to be N27,000 per bag; now it is N57,000. Herbicides are now N3,500 to N4,000, depending on the market. Meanwhile, the same bag of rice we sold for N52,000 in December is now selling for N32,000," he said.
Egede explained that the imbalance between the cost of production and the market price of farm goods is pushing farmers into financial ruin. “We are losing up to N20,000 per bag of rice. After spending money on land preparation, fertilizer, and labour, we still sell at a loss. It’s frustrating," he said.
He also pointed to the rising cost of other essential commodities, including education and building materials. “School fees, books, and daily necessities have all increased. Building materials are now unaffordable. Paint that used to cost N45,000 is now N182,000 for a bottle. It doesn’t make sense.”
Fuel costs, Egede noted, are adding to the burden. “Two weeks ago, I bought a litre of fuel for N960 in my village. Today, it’s N1,000. This is not even the black market—it’s the regular pump price,” he said.
The farmer called on the federal government to intervene by subsidizing inputs and providing mechanized farming tools. “I spent N850,000 today alone just to mulch my farm using manual labour. With machines, I wouldn’t have spent more than N50,000. We need tractors, we need machines—we can’t keep using hoes and matchets or cutlasses.”
He also emphasized the lack of irrigation and water infrastructure in the state. “Here, we can only farm once a year. In the North, they farm three times a year because they have irrigation and dams. Our rivers dry up before November.”
Egede urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the River Basin Development Authority to invest in Ebonyi’s water system to enable year-round farming.
“If we get dams and irrigation, we can increase our output from 50 to over 300 bags of rice annually. Ebonyi farmers are hardworking—we just need support," he said.
While expressing his frustration at federal inaction, Egede lauded the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for being “a true leader who understands farmers.”
He said, “Governor Nwifuru is a farmer himself. He brings yams from his own farm. He is not looking for money—he understands our pain.”
As the new yam festive season for the 2025 approaches, Egede expressed concern that yam scarcity could dampen the annual New Yam Festival. “With the way things are, people may have to buy yams in the market instead of harvesting from their farms. That is not how it used to be.”
In a final appeal, Egede said: “We are tired. We are suffering. The government must act now. If not, farmers in Ebonyi and across Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into poverty.”
He called for urgent action from all levels of government to revive agriculture and restore dignity to the Nigerian farmers across the nation.
