Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, shared some hopeful news for the country. He mentioned that we should expect a large harvest by the end of the year. Despite food inflation soaring to 40 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), making basic foods very expensive for many Nigerians, Kyari assured that the government is taking steps to fix the problem.
Kyari explained that the government is boosting farming activities to increase food production. He expressed confidence that a significant harvest would occur around October-November this year, barring any natural disasters. “We are expecting a bumper harvest,” he stated confidently during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
One of the major reasons for the current food scarcity is the seasonal cycle. Kyari noted, “The season we have here is a critical issue in agriculture. This is what we call the lean season, between June and July, before the next harvest.”
Additionally, Kyari pointed out other challenges contributing to food shortages, such as reduced agricultural land, flooding, habitation issues, and insecurity. He also mentioned that fewer young people are entering the agricultural sector, leading to an ageing farming population.
