The National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) has urged the federal government to restore the Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) to ensure that farmers receive fair returns for their produce and are shielded from volatile market prices.

Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAFN, made the call at the opening of the 17th edition of the 2025 National Agricultural Show in Karu, Nasarawa State.

Ibrahim highlighted the challenges facing smallholder and small-scale farmers, including low market prices, high input costs, low output, insecurity, and weak purchasing power of the Naira. 

“The resilience of the smallholder farmers is being stretched,” he said. 

“Government intervention to moderate input prices and resuscitate the GMP and the National Agricultural Reserve Agency (NAFRA) would ease the challenges in our national food system.”

He stressed that the GMP acts as a price floor for agricultural products, covering production costs, promoting income stability, and enhancing national food security.

As President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Ibrahim urged all levels of government to increase investments in agriculture to achieve food sovereignty. 

He also highlighted bottlenecks such as insecurity, climate change, low mechanisation, and high farm input costs.

“While government initiatives to support Nigeria’s food systems exist, faithful implementation of sector policies is key to attaining food sovereignty,” Ibrahim noted. 

He encouraged farmers to incorporate processing mechanisms to add value to their produce and solicited support for investors in large-scale agribusiness.

He also called for the use of research findings from agricultural institutes to scale up productivity.

In his goodwill message, Jafar Abubakar Umar, Director General of NABG, emphasised the need to accelerate investment in food systems, adopt climate-smart agriculture, and strengthen productivity. 

He commended NAFN for its resilience and commitment to promoting agriculture, noting that NABG is dedicated to advancing agribusiness, scaling investments, and building partnerships across the value chain.

Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Bukar Musa, Director at the Federal Department of Agriculture, praised the organisers and participants for sustaining the Agricultural Show. 

He highlighted government priorities aimed at strengthening the agricultural value chain: boosting productivity for smallholder farmers, expanding agro-processing and value addition, enhancing mechanisation and extension services, improving market linkages, promoting climate-smart agriculture

He also noted increased public investment in mechanisation, agro-processing, input support, and rural infrastructure, as well as partnerships with international organisations to provide modern technologies and capacity-building opportunities.

“Real impact depends on all stakeholders,” Kyari added. 

“Farmers must adopt improved seeds and climate-resilient practices; the private sector must invest in processing and storage; youth must embrace digital tools and innovation; and states must provide enabling environments and extension services.”

The National Agricultural Show, organised by NAFN, includes exhibitions, seminars on sustainable agriculture and technology, and networking sessions. 

This year’s theme, “Employing Smallholder Farmers: Restoring Value, Ensuring Productivity Will Ensure Attainment of Food Security in Nigeria,” will facilitate networking, showcase innovation, and create market opportunities.

The five-day event will conclude on Friday with award presentations recognising individuals and organisations that have excelled in the agricultural value chain.

Source: Independent News