Rice production drops to 8.3MT despite interventions – Report

Nigeria’s rice production has declined to 8.3 million tonnes for the 2024/2025 cycle, down from 8.9 million tonnes the previous year despite ongoing government efforts to boost agricultural output.

This decrease has raised concerns as the Federal Government continues to implement interventions aimed at enhancing food security and addressing hunger across the nation.

Data from the United States Department of Agriculture, accessed by The PUNCH on Wednesday, revealed a downward trend in milled rice production.

According to the USDA, between the 2014/2015 planting season and the 2024/2025 season, rice production increased by two million tonnes but decreased by 600,000 tonnes compared to the 2023/2024 planting year.

Despite relatively stable production figures up to the 2023/2024 season, rice production has notably fallen to 8.3 million tonnes in the latest cycle.

According to data from BudgIT’s accountability platform, GovSpend, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation paid the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria N76bn in March 2024 to supply rice as part of an emergency intervention to alleviate Nigeria’s ongoing food crisis.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi in 2024 reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing hunger.

He emphasised that the Federal Government would spare no effort in tackling the nation’s food security challenges.

Abdullahi also highlighted Nigeria’s agricultural achievements, noting that the country became Africa’s largest rice producer in 2019, with a production level of nine million metric tonnes. However, the recent decline in output represents a setback to this achievement.

The government’s efforts include various funding programmes and policy initiatives. For example, in 2024 alone, the government allocated N8.64bn to agricultural initiatives aimed at boosting food production, improving infrastructure, and supporting farmers, according to the BudgIT data.

Despite these efforts, challenges remain, including food inflation, which currently stands at 39.93 per cent, driving up the prices of basic food commodities and exacerbating food insecurity.

Economists and agricultural experts have pointed to several factors contributing to the production shortfall, including smuggling, instability in local production, and poor infrastructure.

An agricultural expert from Kaduna State, La’ah Dauda, attributed the decline in rice production to inconsistent policies and insufficient support for farmers. He called for greater attention to infrastructure development to address inefficiencies in the agricultural sector.

“The lack of reliable infrastructure and support for farmers has led to inefficiencies in the agricultural sector,” Dauda said. “We need to focus on empowering farmers, improving access to resources, and addressing structural challenges,” he added.

Experts argue that more deliberate and sustained agricultural policies are needed to reverse the decline in food production.