The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, says increased food production has not yet translated into lower prices because of gaps in processing and distribution.
Kyari said the Federal Government had made considerable progress in agricultural production under President Bola Tinubu, with prices at the farm gate falling.
However, he said consumers were yet to fully benefit because food still becomes more expensive between the farm and the market.
The minister spoke in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday while responding to concerns over the slow impact of agricultural reforms on food prices.
“However, even if you look at the NBS figures, you would see that agro-processing has not come down, but production has come down.
"Which means at the farm gate, prices have come down considerably,” Kyari said.
He added, “So, these are other gaps that need to be looked at.
"But we have tackled the production of food, and we have seen considerable success in that regard.”
Kyari said population growth, low productivity, limited access to land and the cost of farm inputs were also affecting food supply.
He said Nigeria’s population was growing by about 8 million to 9 million people annually, making it harder for agricultural output to meet demand.
The minister said the government was working to reduce processed food imports through mechanisation, local processing and Special Agro-Processing Zones.
“We are even going into the second phase,” Kyari said, adding that the zones would cover “production, aggregation, storage, processing, and marketing.”
He also said improved security had allowed farmers to return to previously inaccessible farmlands.
Kyari projected that the 2026 harvest would exceed the bumper harvest recorded in 2025, with the latest production figures expected between October and November.
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