WOMEN farmers in Niger State struggle with crashed crop prices despite bumper harvests, rising input costs, diverted subsidies. The ICIR visited some local governments across the state to document how the drop in food prices has affected farmers, especially smallholder women farmers.

By Justina Ashishana

Across Niger State, harvest season and storage of food produce usually bring joy. But this year, it is a different story. Women who once celebrated full barns now count their losses as they lament that bumper harvests no longer translate into profit, with the prices of crops like maize, rice and beans, which were once seen as gold, having crashed. These food products that once fetched thousands per measure now sell for a fraction of their former price.

Women farmers in Paikoro

Women farmers like Jummai Makama and Aishatu Bawa in Paikoro, Priscilla Sado and Agnes Aynadanyi in Gurara and Halima Mohammed in Agaie stored grains from their last harvest, hoping for better prices. However, they were disappointed when it came time to sell their grains.

Prices of maize dropped from N1,000 per measure to as low as N250-N400; beans fell from N150,000 per bag to N70,000, with a measure selling between N1,500 to N1,700 as against N2,800 to N3,000 that it was sold early in the year and the year before. This development makes farmers who waited to sell their farm produce get stuck with unsold produce, while those who sold early barely broke even.

“As at this time last year, a bag of beans sold between N130,000 to N180,000 depending on the type that you have. But this year, the highest we can sell our beans is N80,000, which is not encouraging, not after buying fertiliser and chemicals very costly and not getting anything for your effort in the farm.

“Buying fertiliser at a higher cost, and after harvesting, you look at the price you sold it and you will know that you did not gain. Most of our produce is still on ground and we are looking for buyers at the rate we want to sell it that would be okay for us,” Aishatu Mohammed, a multiple crop farmer in Paikoro said.

With a tone of resignation, she said that though she was planting new crops, she does it reluctantly because she still has a lot of her harvest unsold with no hope of the price rising again.

“I am praying that the prices will go up a little, at least to enable me to get the amount of fertiliser and chemicals I spent during the planting season. I sincerely pray that next year, the price will increase more than this year.”

Talma Baba

After spending 25 years in farming, Talma Baba, a rice farmer in Gurara Local Government Area, is taking the price fluctuations and uncertainty in good faith. She believes that it is the will of God for food prices to either go up or down, and since she does not lose too much, she will keep farming with the hope that her family will not be hungry.

“Everything I do about my farming depends on God, and if He says the price will go up, it is His will. If the price reduces, I will still farm and sell. I will not get discouraged,” she said.

Talma said she did not lose much in terms of selling her last year harvest as she was part of those who sold theirs at the beginning of the year when the prices were still high.

“At the beginning of this year, the food prices were still high and that was when I sold some of my produce, so I did not lose that much. It was after the middle of the year that the prices began going down, so I can say I did not lose too much.”

NBS data analysis

The data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirms what farmers are experiencing. While food prices were still higher early this year, the monthly increases slowed down until September 2025, which saw the first actual month-to-month drop in food prices in over a decade. According to data from the NBS, Nigeria’s food prices showed a general slowdown in increases compared to 2024.

Food inflation measures how much food costs have risen, compared to the same time the previous year. According to NBS, year-on-year food inflation rates dropped over the months in 2025, though actual month-to-month price reductions happened from September

Based on NBS Consumer Price Index (CPI), the year started with January showing 26.08 percentage change in food prices compared to the same month in the previous year while in September 2025, the food inflation rate showed 16.87 per cent as against 37.77 per cent in September 2024.

This is how Talma Baba stores her grains

October and November data have not been released by NBS as at the time of writing this report

The cost of farm input like fertiliser, herbicides, chemicals and seedlings continues to increase annually, with no hope of farmers, especially women in the rural areas, getting access to government-subsidised input. Several of the farmers say that they have to rely on fowl or cow dung and refuse as fertiliser since they cannot afford buying fertiliser. This in turn does not give the yield they expect. Farmers say fertiliser that once sold between N18,000 and N30,000 is now ₦60,000, and that is if it is even available.

Since she went into rice farming ten years ago, Habiba Abdullahi, lamented that her greatest challenge has been accessing fertiliser, herbicide and pesticide. She said this has reduced her produce yield annually.

“Since I started farming, I have not had access to government-subsidised fertiliser,” she said, adding that last year when the Smallholder Women Farmers (SWOFON) were promised 300 bags of fertiliser by the government, they were only able to access 60 bags, which she said were not enough to go round members across the state.

“When I started farming, my land was still fertile, so I was able to harvest 120 bags of rice. But as the years went by, the harvest reduced drastically, and last year, I was able to harvest just 30 bags of rice.

“This year, I don’t know how many bags I will harvest. I now use fowl droppings as fertiliser in my farm. Then for the chemical, I buy a little amount and mix with the fowl poo, which I use in the farm.

Though Habiba sold her produce early in the year before food prices went down, she worries over the price of rice which is currently being planted and would soon be harvested.

She said:  “I have fears over the price of rice for next year. I only pray that the prices improve before we harvest this year’s rice and sell them.”

‘Politicians hijack fertiliser’

Some of the women farmers accuse politicians of hijacking subsidized fertilisers meant for them as several of them noticed that the fertilisers sold by these politicians are usually cheaper than those sold in the market.

According to them, the politicians hijack the inputs and because they are not real farmers who end up selling it less than the real market rates to the real farmers.

“We do not get our fertiliser from the government. We get it from those who sell it in the market. All the fertiliser shared by the government belong to politicians. The common man buys from the black market where a bag costs N50,000 to N60,000. Before, we were getting it at N25,000 at government price. The politicians sell to them, and they sell to us.

“Last year, the governor directed that women farmers should be given 600 bags of fertiliser, out of which 300 were supposed to be for Smallholder Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON). But because of the politicians involved, we only got 68 bags, which was not enough to go round.

“This year, we did not even see one bag. This is sad because four, five years ago, they gave these fertilisers to us for free, but now, nothing. How can the government go for a year without giving subsidised fertilizer to farmers?”

Agnes Aynadanyi

Agnes Aynadanyi in Gurara LGA lamented that after using fertiliser for planting, she did not get the money back to even pay for the input

“We brought medicines and fertiliser to use while planting, and most of us did not even get the money for the inputs.

“This year, one measure of corn was sold for N300. Last year, we sold it at N1000 to N2000.  I had to sell mine like that because I needed money. No gain at all.

“Sometimes, I buy chemicals for N65,000 and fertiliser for N97,000. I buy 10 bags because if you did not apply enough, it will not yield much. I did not get the money back.

“With this new planting season, I just managed to start farming.”

Pricilla Sado, who farms groundnut, melon, rice, beans and cassava in Agaie, lamented the high cost of renting farm implements every year. “This year, I hired a tractor to work for me in my farm. I paid N70,000 because my cousin knows the owner.

“But last year, the person who did it for me collected N110,000 for just clearing and tilling the ground. We do not have access to government owned tractors. We hear that they bring them, but politicians hijack. It is the same thing with fertiliser.”

Jummai also lamented how the tractors were being hoarded by the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Agency (NAMDA), which claims that it does not have any, despite the ones seen in its offices in Minna.

“If you have a big farm, you will have to go and rent it from private individuals. We haven’t seen any from the government here. In the whole local government, we don’t have a tractor. The government keeps saying it shared tractors, but it is all politics.

Fatima Matyaki in Katcha LGA, has entered into an agreement with the people who sell fertiliser where she buys on credit and pays back after she harvests her crops. Because of the need to pay off the debt, she had to sell her produce quickly. So, she did not save a lot of grains like her fellow farmers.

She lamented that from her last harvest, she was barely able to meet up with the payment of the fertiliser and have some gain, because she sold the produce at very low price than she budgeted to sell it.

“But I just had to sell it, because if I had waited longer, the fertiliser seller would be on my neck. So, I could only afford to store little that would be enough for my family to feed on. So I am even discouraged to farm this year”, she said.

Storage: Between spoilage and poison

Several of the farmers do not sell the crops they harvest immediately. They store them using different preservation methods. None of the women farmers interviewed used modern methods for storing their crops.

Majority of the women rely on traditional storage methods using insecticides or rat poison, locally referred to as “bomb”, which they tie in rags to repel pests. One of the crops they use the “bomb” to preserve is beans, risking food poisoning if not properly handled before it is sold.

Explaining the reason for storing their produce for a while before selling, majority of the women said they do so to make more profit as this tends to increase the price of the products, which had benefitted them in the past.

“We store our harvests the local way. Like beans, we got some storage bags sold by the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Agency (NAMDA). When you put your beans in that bag, it can stay for 8 to10 months.

“The reason for using the bomb is that the smell drives away any pest, especially rats, weevils and termites. So, on my part, when I want to sell my produce, I take the produce and spread it on the floor for a day or two so that the sun can heat it and remove any smell or residue from the chemical we use.

But she admitted that this could be dangerous to health.

“In some cases, you will hear sometimes that beans kill people. That is because some people just take it to the market without removing the bomb, and this type of beans, when you cook it, you will perceive the smell. That is why it poisons people.”

“For yams, we have the barns which can serve for three to six months,” Jummai said.

Safiya Musa, who farms rice in Paikoro, said she has been using the rat poison known as “bomb” for storing her grains since she started farming about six years ago.

“I don’t have any problem or loss or damage. I use rat poison. I store maize for one year; nothing goes wrong with it.

“Apart from maize and rice, other grains cannot stay very long as termites can enter to eat them up, especially if the ‘bomb’ you use has expired and you did not check it.”

Comfort Joseph, a rice, beans, potatoes and corn farmer in Dikko community in Gurara LGA, uses a different and safer method in storing her beans. She by pours ash on it as she fills it into the storage bag. For maize, she uses neem leave which she places inside the sack.

“For other crops, I use the insecticide bomb to store them. It does not affect the crops; it is safe to use. All you have to do is use rag to tie it before dropping it into the crop.”

Nutritionist speaks

A Niger State based Nutritionist,  Hajiya Asmau Mohammed, explained that the use of chemicals in grain preservation is a common practice worldwide, particularly in areas with high humidity or long storage periods.

She noted that while chemicals effectively prevent insect damage, reduce post-harvest losses and maintain grain quality, they also pose significant health and environmental risks.

“The contamination of grains with pesticide residues and the development of insect resistance are major concerns. For instance, studies carried out have shown that exposure to pesticides like phosphine can lead to neurological damage and respiratory issues in humans.”

She noted that non-chemical methods, such as drying, storing in airtight containers, and using natural preservatives, offer eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives as these methods not only preserve grain quality but also promote sustainable food systems and community resilience.

“However, the non chemical method may require more labour and careful monitoring, and their effectiveness can be limited by factors like storage conditions and pest pressure.

“As a nutritionist, I believe that a balanced approach that combines the benefits of both chemical and non-chemical methods could be the way forward.”

A health consultant, Mathew Oladele, noted that the common rodenticides in Nigeria commonly called rat bomb or giant killers or smoke bomb are not safe for grain or any type of food preservation, especially grains, adding that these chemicals cause food contamination and poisoning risks.

“The rodenticides contains some chemical properties that are harmful to humans and animals. These materials are made purposely to control rodents and not to preserve foods items especially grains. These chemicals cause food contamination and poisoning risks.

“The farmers need to be advised to stop using these harmful methods to preserve grains. Rat bomb has a tendency to cause multiple organs failures in human beings just as it does to the rats. It can cause food poisoning, severe illness, internal bleeding, brain swelling or even result in death.”

Enforced uniform prices, higher losses

In markets across the state, farmers face difficulties in selling their grains in the local markets at the rate they desire because of the market leaders who work at ensuring that every trader in the market sells at uniform prices, irrespective of each one’s peculiar realities, which in turn worsens farmer’s losses.

Ndatu Ibrahim, a market leader in Paikoro, said the price of food is set when the market leaders calculate the amount the grains were bought and the transportation used in conveying to the market with a little amount added to it as gain for the traders.

Ndatu, who acknowledged the low prices of food, said unlike previous years when middlemen followed the farmers to their farms in the hope of getting it cheaper, this year was different because farmers were looking for ways to sell their produce at slightly higher rate in order to get returns on their investment. She added that several of the middlemen also felt the brunt of the food price reduction as those who stored their goods now sell at a loss.

The head of market women Head in Agaie LGA, Zainab Mohammed, noted that they try to ensure that there are uniformed prices and anyone who flaunts the order faces disciplinary action which may lead to the person not selling in the market that day.

“Every day, when I come into the market, I and other officials go round and ask how much they are selling their produce. Once a trader gives a different price, that trader is queried, and if the reason is not vital, we ask them to sell at the same rate with others. That is how we work to ensure all prices are the same.

“We always have challenges especially with the farmers who sell their goods directly in the market. When we ask them to sell at lesser price, they complain that some of them go on dry season farming where they use fuel, which is very expensive. The price of the fertiliser is high and selling at lower price is killing them. But our hands are tied because the price has to be uniform.”

Price Control Board dormant?

Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, in October last year inaugurated the Niger State Price Control and Monitoring Board. The board is an eight-member committee led by Alhaji Hussaini Ahmed, who is a former Permanent Secretary, as Chairman – with other members drawn from various ministries, departments and agencies.

The primary goal of the board is to ensure fair pricing and protect consumers and farmers from exploitation. Its specific functions include; control and stabilise the prices of essential commodities across the state; eradicate or minimise the hoarding of essential goods by traders; keep market prices under continuous surveillance and interpret price movements and handle issues that arise from enforcement and implement penalties for those who violate pricing guidelines.

As at November 2025, the board was yet to undertake any activity nor has it carried out any specific enforcement actions, such as crackdowns on hoarders or the seizure of goods. The board has also not released an official, regulated price list for specific essential commodities.

The reporter tried to get the Chairman but could not get his contact, while some members who were reached said since the announcement of their names as board members the board has never really functioned.

This is essentially, they said, because the government has not released money to fund its activities. It was gathered that since its inaugural meeting, the board has not met since it was inaugurated in October 2024.

A retired statistician general in Niger State, who is also a farmer, Alhaji Usman Liman, noted that the drop in food prices is a good thing, but added that it would discourage farmers, especially as the prices of inputs, fertilizer, chemicals and seedlings have not reduced.

“A farmer will buy his fertiliser N40,000 or more per bag and at the end, he will sell his maize for N20,000 per bag. This means he has to sell about two or three bags to get a bag of fertiliser. So, it is not good for the farmers.

“The long-run implication is that the next one year or less than one year, these prices will move. Particularly if it reaches next year, if farmers are discouraged, they won’t farm again..

“What the government should have done is to encourage the farmer by not opening the door for import, because you are encouraging people from other countries, particularly large-scale farmers from other countries bringing in their goods.”

Why intended support fails to reach women farmers —NAMDA

The Managing Director of NAMDA, Muhammad Alibaba, explained that while the state has policies to support women, a combination of input diversion, distribution model that relies on a few formal (and not widespread) groups, and a critical lack of extension staff makes several women farmers to be “sidelined” and fail to access the intended inputs.

He explained that the government’s specific allocation for women is channelled through a few prominent, organised women farmer groups, stressing that those who are not registered members of these specific organisations were often left out, admitting that these organised women farmers groups are not widespread but the agency cannot be everywhere.

“As we speak, the government has approved the purchase of some quantity of inputs that will be distributed to farmers for the dry season (farming), since rainy season is over already. So that is likely to be sold as a subsidy to farmers.

“We are conscious of the gender balance and gender mainstreaming. So, most often when it comes to inputs distribution by government, there are a few notable organisations that cater for women farmers. They are usually given priority attention in addition to ordinary farmers. These women organizations usually get specific allocation for their members.”

On diversion, Muhammad acknowledged that they receive the same complaints once in a while explaining that most often, the inputs are usually limited and with little or no logistics to convey them to the expected locations, it may be diverted by some elements.

“Efforts, like I said, are being deliberately made to ensure that women are not sidelined. So, those women that are complaining, maybe we need to encourage them to join this kind of women organizations who we give priority to so that if these inputs are available, they will be able to benefit from them.”

The MD lamented that the extension officers available at the local government levels to help farmers are not enough to cater for this large number of farmers across the state adding that there are some other initiatives at the community level that have taken it upon themselves to enlighten and train farmers.

As women farmers are already in the planting season, hope remains their only capital. They pray for better prices and real government support, so that full barns can finally mean full pockets.

This report was made possible with support from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, (ICIR).