Emmanuel OchayiIn a bid to alleviate the surging food inflation gripping Nigeria, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, unveiled the Federal Government’s plans for an boost food crop production.
Addressing reporters after a meeting with Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi in Abuja, Kyari said: “We have programs to ensure massive production of food so that food will be available for the country in line with Mr President’s agenda on food security.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelCiting food inflation as the primary driver of the country’s soaring inflation rate, Kyari emphasized, “Today, the number one driver of inflation in the economy is food inflation. So we want to assiduously work hard to produce massively.”
Responding to queries about the timing of these initiatives, Kyari stated, “We have started already. Within the next three weeks, everything should be in place.”
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Pressed on whether this production would swiftly impact food prices, Kyari acknowledged, “It is based on the market forces of supply and demand. So if we increase supply, definitely there will be an impact.”
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to bolstering supply, believing it would soon have a positive effect on food costs nationwide.
The latest Consumer Price Index report from November 2023 revealed Nigeria’s food inflation rate had surged to 32.84 percent, with Kogi, Kwara, and Rivers experiencing the highest spikes at 41.29 percent, 40.72 percent, and 40.22 percent, respectively.
Attributing the escalating food prices to rises in various commodities, the National Bureau of Statistics cited bread, cereals, oil, potatoes, yam, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, and beverages among the culprits.
Regarding food production in Jigawa State, Kyari commended their efforts and expressed optimism.
“We are impressed with the performance of Jigawa State and we are also sending monitoring teams to get feedback from the other states. I am sure we are going to achieve our target,” the Minister stated.
The government’s proactive measures to bolster food production aspire to assuage the country’s escalating food prices, providing hope for an impending market shift.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
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