Farming activities in the South West are likely to resume in earnest and the high prices of food items and agricultural products may begin to drop henceforth following the decision of the Governors in the region and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to prohibit open and night grazing and illegal occupation of forest reserves.
With the decision, an outcome of a security meeting involving the governors, MACBAN and heads of security agencies, Monday in Akure, where grazing by under-aged herders was also prohibited, brought the hope that farmers in the region, who had stayed off their farms for fear of violence by Fulani herders, will resume to their farming activities which planting season is near according to Nike Adesola, who sells Garri, a popular staple food in Nigeria.
“Farmers have stayed away from their farmers for fear of being kidnapped or killed by Fulani herders whose cattle graze farmlands and resort to violence if farmers complained”.
“We hope farmers will be able to go back to their farms especially now that the planting season is near. We know that prices of food items will go down when they are able to harvest without fear and we are able to access their farms to buy from them’, noted Nike Adesola who sells at the popular Mile 12 Food market in Lagos.
The prohibition order at the meeting attended by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun. Others were Seyi Makinde of Oyo and former deputy governor of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, has just revived the agriculture sector which contributions have slumped resulting in high prices of food and other agricultural items.
Ekiti Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Fayemi who read the communique at the end of the meeting, said that free-range grazing must be stopped to avoid conflicts between farmers and herders.
Earlier, Muhammadu Kiruwa, National President, MACBAN, had urged his members to desist from grazing cows into farmlands, grazing at night and grazing by minors. Kiruwa, who assured of the cooperation of MACBAN at all time, directed executive members of the association in every state to work with all security outfits to tackle crime.
Several reasons including insecurity and the increasing violent activities of Fulani herders that have forced farmers to stay off farms for fear of being kidnapped have been advanced for the increase in food prices which currently, is almost 100 per cent in the South West.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report for December 2020 notes that Consumer Price Index of which food is key in measuring inflation increased by 15.75 per cent (year-on-year) representing 0.86 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in November 2020 (14.89) per cent.
“On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.65 per cent in December 2020, same as the rate recorded in November 2020, while the rural index where foods are grown, rose by 1.58 per cent in December 2020, up by 0.02 per cent above the rate that was recorded in November 2020 (1.56 per cent)”.
It said the urban inflation rate increased by 16.33 percent (year-on-year) in December 2020 from 15.47 percent recorded in November 2020, while the rural inflation rate increased by 15.20 percent in December 2020 from 14.33 percent in November 2020.
The report stated that: “The composite food index rose by 19.56 per cent in December 2020 compared to 18.30 per cent in November 2020, blaming it on the increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Meat, Fruits, Vegetable, Fish and Oils and fats.
“On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 2.05 per cent in December 2020, up by 0.01 per cent points from 2.04 per cent recorded in November 2020.
The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending December 2020 over the previous twelve-month average was 16.17 per cent,0.42 per cent points from the average annual rate of change recorded in November 2020 (15.75) per cent.
Nigerians currently battle Covid-19 pandemic which has caused many to lose their jobs while some have their salaries slashed. The #EndSARS protests which were hijacked by hoodlums that looted and destroyed properties as they wreaked havoc on the nation’s economy also worsened the plight of Nigerians, who are now battling hunger as food prices keep escalating owing to incessant clashes between Fulani herders and farmers.
Data from a recent survey published by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on food items in the South Western part of the country shows about 100 per cent increment in the prices of some food items and confirmed by shoppers during the last Christmas celebration.
The survey showed that, at the Ota market in Ogun state, price of onions almost doubled, as a bag, which was sold for N50,000 in October, is now sold between N90,000 and N100,000 while on the retail side, four small pieces of onions, which were N50 in October went up to N200.
Same goes for the prices of yam as a dozen of big yam, which was sold for N4,800 in October, went up by 20 per cent also at the popular Mile 12 food market in Lagos.
Saheed Ismaila, a yam seller at the popular Shasha market in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, said five pieces of medium yam tubers, which were sold between N1,500 and N1,800 in October, are now between N2,500 and N3,000.
“We are selling based on how much we bought the item. We usually travel to Minna and Abuja to buy them and we have to add the cost of transport which went up because of the activities of Fulani herdsmen,” Ismaila said.
Price of a 25-litre keg of Palm oil at the Shasha market has shot up from N11,000 in October to N13,500 in November. Prior to this time, a 25-litre keg of palm oil was sold between N8,000 and N9,000 in many markets in the South – West.
At the popular Kuto market in Abeokuta, a bag of beans, of which the price fluctuated between N19,000 and N23,000 in October, is now sold for N28,000, while a plastic measure of the foodstuff has increased from N350 in October to N550 in November.
Rice, however, maintained a fairly stable price, like a bag of 50kg, which was sold for N22,000 in October now goes for N23,000 at most of the markets in Ogun, with a plastic measure hovering between N700 and N800, up from the N600 it was sold in October.
The survey, however, revealed a downward trend in the prices of Garri, tomato and pepper in some of the markets. At Agbeni market in Ibadan, a bag of onion, which was sold for N12,000 at the onset of coronavirus in March, is now N30,000, while the price of a bag of beans has increased from N15,000 to N30,000 within the same period.
Comments are closed.