Climate Change, Ukraine War Cause Of High Food Prices – FG

The Federal Government has said the current high prices of food items were caused by the effects of climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Naijaonpoint reports that the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the promise he made that food prices would come down in 180 days last year was affected by other factors.

In an interview with Arise News, on Friday night, Kyari also stated that the coronavirus pandemic also affected food prices in the nation.

“Well, let me just put in perspective. When you look at prices, food prices across the nation, you have varying food prices. In some places, they’re low. In some places, they’re a bit higher. And when you look at generally around the neighborhood, what I mean around the neighborhood, I mean even around the countries around us, prices are extremely even higher than those that are in Nigeria. So, it’s a global thing that we’re experiencing. It’s all over. Prices of food have risen right from the impacts of COVID and the impacts of climate change, the Ukrainian war, and so on and so forth,” he said.

The Minister, who also explained that supply and demand law was also affecting food prices, assured that efforts were on to address high food prices in the country.

“So, I appreciate the concerns of many Nigerians. What government is trying to do here is actually to ramp up production. Now, when availability is there, but then prices are still high, it’s a case of supply and demand. You ramp up supply and demand stays the same and then the prices come down. So, I think that is the direction that we’re looking at,” he added.