FG to rescue onion farmers after N150bn post-harvest losses

The federal government has begun distributing agricultural inputs to 2,000 onion farmers in Sokoto State in a bid to curb massive post-harvest losses and stabilise onion production across Nigeria.

The intervention is being implemented through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) following reported losses of over N150bn suffered by onion farmers nationwide in 2024.

Speaking during the distribution exercise on Sunday in Sokoto, the Executive Secretary of NADF, Mr Muhammad Abu-Ibrahim, said the initiative was part of the federal government’s broader commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s food system and reducing post-harvest losses.

Abu-Ibrahim, who was represented by one of the Directors at the fund, Mr Mu’azu Ibrahim, described post-harvest losses as one of the most critical challenges confronting the agricultural sector, noting that onion farmers were particularly affected by poor-quality seedlings and other production-related constraints.

“The support is meant to cushion the impact of the losses recorded by farmers and to address key risk factors across the value chain,” he said.

“Government will continue to take deliberate steps to reduce underinvestment in agriculture and create an enabling environment that can attract increased private-sector participation,” he added.

He urged stakeholders to support the ongoing government initiatives aimed at boosting productivity and sustainability in the sector.

In his remarks, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Tukur Allali, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Almustapha Alkali, commended the federal government for what he described as a timely intervention and a lifeline for smallholder farmers.

Alkali reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with the federal government and other stakeholders to promote agricultural value chains, drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.

Also speaking, the Project Coordinator of the Sokoto State Agricultural Development Project, Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki, said the support was critical to sustaining farming activities, particularly among smallholder farmers who bore the brunt of last season’s losses.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, the National President of the Onion Farmers, Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu, said the intervention was timely and well-targeted, noting that genuine onion farmers were captured in the exercise.

He said the support would provide the much-needed relief following the challenges encountered during the previous farming season.

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