The Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase-One (ATASP-1) has announced that the Federal Government is planning to mop up excess food currently in circulation across the country.
ATASP-1, a federal initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is focused on improving agricultural productivity and value-chain development in Nigeria.
Dr. Romanus Egba, the Zonal Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1, Adani-Omor Zone, disclosed this in Enugu on Tuesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He assured Nigerians that there is no cause for concern regarding possible post-harvest losses.
According to Egba, the Federal Government has strategic food reserves and is already buying off food from farmers to store for future use. “The government is purchasing the excess produce from farmers and preserving them for release during times of scarcity,” he said.
Egba explained that the recent drop in food prices across the country is linked to several key factors. “After the 2023 food crisis, many people went into farming in 2024, leading to a significant increase in food production compared to previous years,” he said.
He added that the government’s decision to open the nation’s borders and permit the importation of food items also contributed to the price crash. “The decision to open our border and allow imported foodstuffs to compete with locally produced ones also contributed significantly to the crash in price of foodstuffs,” he stated.
Egba noted that the situation has affected many farmers who are now struggling to recover their production costs. “The consequence now is that most farmers are adversely affected by this development as many of them can no longer recover the cost of production,” he said.
Speaking on insecurity in agricultural production areas of Enugu State, Egba commended the state government for its efforts. “I will use Adani, where ATASP-1 last year completed the rehabilitation of the Ada Rice Irrigation System to pave the way for dry season rice farming, which could not hold then because of security challenges,” he explained.
He added that Navy personnel have now been deployed to secure the area, while local vigilante groups are also working closely with the military to ensure farmers can safely return to their farms. “ATASP-1 was also able to complete its projects because of our excellent working relationship with these security operatives, especially the local vigilante operatives,” Egba said.
