2025 our worst year in decade – Farmers

Farmers have described 2025 as the worst year for their livelihoods in a decade. Most villages recorded low harvests despite high production costs, while the value of their output plummeted due to a sharp drop in food prices during the harvest season.

Many farmers, who spoke to Weekend Trust, said their losses in 2025 were enormous, particularly because of the significant capital invested in production.

Solomon Yohana, a rice farmer in Lafia, Nasarawa State, said he lost a significant amount of money on his rice investment this year.

He attributed this to low crop yields caused by an abrupt cessation of rain, exacerbated by crashing market prices.

He said, “As I speak with you now, there are villages where paddy is sold at N15,000 per bag (100kg) but nobody is buying because of the cost of transportation and poor market. Farmers are really suffering. This Christmas, many could not buy anything tangible to celebrate. How many bags of rice would they have to sell to buy one goat or pay for beef?

“Many of these farmers borrowed money with the hope of repaying after the harvest, but prices are dropping every day. Last week, millet was bought at N21,000 at Agyaragu market. In Lafia and Doma, a pickup truck of cassava is N80,000, but the farmer has to pay N30,000 for transport alone, minus labour. How much is left for the farmer?”

In Niger State, farmers described 2025 as the toughest year to navigate.

Salihu Ibrahim, a farmer in Gbako Local Government Area, said he could not recover his investment.

“I spent over N140,000 on fertiliser alone for one maize farm, not counting labour. I got eight bags of maize. At N20,000 a bag, the total doesn’t even cover the cost of the fertiliser. Last year, 17 farmers in one village went on pilgrimage from their sales, but this year, no one can even talk about it,” he said.

Mohammed Sani Idris Kodo, a farmer in Bosso Local Government Area, lamented that government’s measures appeared to protect consumers at the detriment of local producers. “Next season, many farmers will be unable to return to the fields because we are running at a loss. We are finding it difficult to pay back loans,” he noted.

In Shiroro Local Government Area, Abdulhadi Muhammad shared a grimmer reality: “Some of my brothers have been arrested for being unable to repay loans. Nobody in my village has ever been arrested for defaulting, but this year is different. A bundle of zinc for roofing is N45,000 while a bag of maize is N20,000. You have to sell nearly three bags of maize just to buy one bundle of zinc.”

In Taraba State, farmers bemoaned the fact that their purchasing power is lower than in previous holiday seasons.

Madam Christy Adams of Yorro Local Government Area noted that the combination of poor harvests and crashing prices had been devastating.

Bulus Nuhu, a farmer from Iware, Ardo-Kola Local Government, provided a stark comparison: “In 2024, I harvested 30 bags of maize from a plot, but this year, I got only 15. Last year, a bag sold at N45,000; this year, it is between N15,000 and N18,000. In 2024, ten bags would bring you N450,000. In 2025, those same 10 bags hardly fetch N150,000.”

Farmers in Kano shared similar stories of shrinking field sizes and technical failures. Malam Usman Dauda of Shanono Local Government said the high cost of fertiliser and seeds compelled farmers to limit their cultivation area.

In Kura Local Government Area, Amadu Iliya, an onion farmer reported a “rough season” due to adulterated seeds. “Many farmers unknowingly bought bad seeds and got terrible yields. It was so bad that many avoided planting onions during the wet season,” he revealed.

Musbahu Shehu, another Kano farmer, summarised the crisis thus: “I had to sell 80 bags of rice to raise N2 million after spending more than N5 million on the farm. Most farmers are recording losses rather than wins.”

By Vincent A. Yusuf (Abuja), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Ibrahim Musa Giginyu (Kano) & Magaji Isa Hunkuyi (Jalingo)

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