Some agriculture experts have called for a review of the federal government’s agriculture policies to address the country’s rising food inflation.
The stakeholders made the call in separate interviews in Lagos while reacting to the October Price Index and Inflation Report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday.
The NBS said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 33.88 per cent in October 2024.
According to the report, the headline inflation rate year-on-year is 33.88 per cent as against the 32.70 per cent recorded in September 2024.
The NBS said that the Food Index rose to 39.16 per cent in October, in contrast to the 37.77 per cent recorded in September. It said food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Sokoto at 52.18 per cent and lowest in Kwara at 31.68 per cent.
The deputy chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, Shakin Agbayewa, blamed inadequate agro-policies and illegal tolls for the consistent food inflation rate in the country.
Mr Agbayewa said, “The truth of the matter is that the right agriculture policies are not in place to address the growing food inflation in the country. The government need to create agriculture policies targeted at the grassroots to address this issue.
“For example, the trucks that will transport agro-produce from the farms to the table of the consumer are faced with multifaceted problems, ranging from the high cost of diesel to multiple illegal taxation.
“All these expenses all contribute to the rise in food inflation which the final consumers will have to bear the brunt. We have interstate taxes, local government taxes and even taxes from thugs.”
He added, “If we cannot secure our farms and free movement of agro-produce across the country, all other agro-policies are just window dressing. All illegal tolling and taxation on the road should be reduced to the barest minimum. We should stop exploiting ourselves.”
He said that extortion and exploitation contribute to food inflation in the country.
“At Ikola Abule-Egba axis of Lagos state, a bag of rice sells at N85,000, but at Ibafo, that same bag sells at N210,000. So, what is the cause for the big variance? It is just pure extortion and exploitation. It is artificial inflation that is killing us,” added Mr Agbayewa.
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