“Almost my whole farm flooded. I didn’t harvest rice,” Ladan told Reuters. “It’s going to be devastating. “
Previous floods earlier this month in northwestern Nigeria destroyed 90% of the 2 million tons kebbi state expected to harvest this fall, the head of the state branch of the Nigeria Rice Producers Association told Reuters. The loss accounts for about 20% of the rice Nigeria. produced last year and the waters continue to rise.
Further south, outside Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, bird breeder Hippolite Adigwe is also concerned. Corn shortages have forced him to sell the maximum of his herd of more than 1,000 birds, and the other 300 are hungry. more than double and doesn’t know how long he can cope.
Twin crises, floods, and corn shortages occur right after movement restrictions and investment difficulties caused by COVID-19 containment measures that confuse spring planting.
Some farmers and economists say this can push Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, into a food crisis. Rice is the country’s staple cereal and birds are a staple protein.
“There is a real shortage of food,” He told Reuters Arc Kabir Ibrahim, president of the Nigerian Farmers Association. “The effect on the food formula will be colossal. “
Nigeria extracted some 4,000 tonnes of yar and sorghum from the strategic stocks of the Regional Economic Bloc (ECOWAS) last month and released 30,000 tonnes of its own maize, and granted 4 special permits to import maize.
The organization of Nigeria’s economic summit called for a “full review” of agricultural policy.
Problems with access to foreign exchange to import food products are exacerbated by shortages. In July, the central bank added maize to a list of parts for which importers are prohibited from their dollars; rice and fertilizers were already on the list, among others. Nigeria needs to manufacture locally.
Last week, even as food costs soared, President Muhammadu Buhari promised that a penny of central bank dollars would be used to import food or fertilizer, as Nigeria would continue to inspire local farmers to prefer imports.
Importers can use dollars from more expensive parallel markets, but it is difficult to do so due to a fall in oil costs that has reduced Nigeria’s main source of foreign exchange.
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