On his part, Bola Kehinde, a miller, said that the price of maize had skyrocketed due to insecurity and border closures.
“This is because if the farmers are not able to farm, then there will be a scarcity and high cost of food.”
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) applauded the federal government’s ban on foreign nationals’ direct purchase of farm produce
FAO has warned that the coming weeks would be critical, as farmers will need to prepare land for sowing vegetables in the middle of March.
“If we don’t manage the situation effectively, there will be (a) significant volume of pressure on input material and the volume of food sold,” he said.
A Customs official said the trade contravened the International Convention on Wildlife of which Nigeria is a “signatory“.
The farmers body said that the cost of inputs might affect the operations of farmers and the prices of their outputs.
In October 2021, Mr Buhari blamed middlemen for the rising costs of local foodstuffs, accusing them of creating artificial scarcity.
The overall rise last month was driven by an 8.5 per cent increase in the FAO Vegetable Oils Price Index, a new record high.
“I am expecting very good days to come for Bulgaria and Nigeria and to build on our partnership.”
