Agro News: Ebonyi Farmers Decry Soaring Costs Of Farm Inputs
From Omaka OKOH, ABAKALIKI
Farmers in Ebonyi State have expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of agriculture, citing skyrocketing prices of farming inputs and falling prices of farm produce.
This economic imbalance, they say, is driving many into debt and worsening poverty in rural communities.
Speaking on behalf of fellow farmers, Joseph Egede from Alibaruhu Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area described the situation as dire.
He said the economic strain has made it nearly impossible for farmers to recover their investments.
“Fertiliser that used to cost N27,000 per bag now sells for N57,000. Herbicides are priced between N3,500 and N4,000, depending on the market. Yet, a bag of rice that sold for N52,000 in December is now going for just N32,000,” Egede said.
He explained that the high cost of production compared to the low selling price of farm produce is placing farmers under intense financial pressure.
“We’re losing as much as N20,000 per bag of rice. After spending heavily on land preparation, fertiliser, and labour, we’re still selling at a loss. It’s discouraging,” he said.
Egede also highlighted the increasing cost of living, noting that essential needs like education and housing have become unaffordable. “School fees, textbooks, and daily expenses keep rising.
Building materials have tripled in price. A can of paint that was once N45,000 now costs N182,000. It’s hard to understand.”
He added that rising fuel prices have only made things worse. “Just two weeks ago, I bought fuel at N960 per litre in my village.
Today, it’s N1,000,and that’s the official price, not black market,” he said.
A farmer in Ebonyi State has urged the federal government to step in and support the agricultural sector by subsidising essential farming inputs and providing mechanised tools. According to him, the continued reliance on manual labour is unsustainable and costly.
“I spent N850,000 today alone just to mulch my farm manually. If I had access to machines, the cost wouldn’t exceed N50,000. We desperately need tractors and modern equipment, we can’t keep farming with hoes and cutlasses,” he said.
He also highlighted the critical shortage of irrigation facilities and water infrastructure in the state.
“In this region, we can only cultivate once a year.
Meanwhile, farmers in the North harvest three times annually because they have access to dams and irrigation systems. Here, our rivers dry up by November,” he explained.
The farmer called on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the River Basin Development Authority to invest in irrigation projects in Ebonyi to make year-round farming possible.
“With proper irrigation and dam systems, our rice harvest could rise from 50 bags to over 300 bags each year. We are willing to work,Ebonyi farmers are not lazy,we just need help,” he said.
