Farmers in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have appealed to the government to regulate the rising cost of agricultural inputs, particularly herbicides, which they say is eroding profits despite falling food prices.
The farmers expressed concern that while the prices of food items have dropped significantly, the cost of key inputs such as chemicals and herbicides has continued to climb, leaving them unable to break even.
Tsaku Sunday, a farmer in Keffi, described the situation as “unbearable,” noting that heavy spending on inputs is no longer matched by market returns.
“Farming is like any other business — you either lose or gain. But with food prices down and the cost of herbicides high, the balance is lost. We need government and stakeholders to step in and regulate input prices,” he said.
Mrs. Alice Ekom shared similar frustrations, pointing out the disparity between input costs and selling prices. “A bowl of beans that once sold for N3,000 now goes for N1,600, while rice has dropped from N2,200 to N1,500. Meanwhile, herbicides remain expensive. Farmers are losing,” she lamented.
Another farmer, Mrs. Naomi Ezekiel, stressed the need for fairness in pricing to ensure farmers can benefit from their labour. “We are not against cheaper food for consumers, but farmers also need to survive. Regulatory measures are necessary to guarantee fair pricing on both ends,” she said.
The farmers urged policymakers to prioritise interventions that would cushion the impact of high input costs, sustain agricultural production and encourage more people to remain in farming.
