By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A group of 2,143 maize farmers in Kaduna State has appealed to the Federal Government for urgent intervention following estimated losses of N10.16 billion during the 2025 farming season. The farmers are requesting free or heavily subsidized agricultural inputs to mitigate the financial setback and ensure continuity in production.The farmers, operating across Kaduna’s three senatorial districts, attributed their losses to a sudden nationwide crash in maize prices, coupled with rising costs of farm inputs. Their plea was detailed in a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Minister of Agriculture, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the three Kaduna Senators.
According to the letter, written through their counsel, Barrister Ehizogie Fidelis Imadojemu, the affected farmers participate in a maize farming scheme coordinated by Alhaji Rufai Muazu Dikko, popularly known as Sarkin Labar. The scheme, which began in 2017 with 1,000 hectares, has grown to about 10,000 hectares across Igabi, Soba, Kauru, Zaria, and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas.Under the arrangement, Sarkin Labar provides capital, farm inputs, and logistics, while farmers repay him in maize after harvest and sell any surplus for income. However, the 2025 season proved disastrous. The letter stated that a 50kg bag of NPK fertilizer sold for about N60,000, while urea reached N50,000 per bag. Consequently, the total cost of cultivating one hectare of maize surged to over N2 million, up from approximately N1 million the previous year.“
With an average yield of 45 bags of 100kg per hectare, each bag needed to sell for about N44,578 to break even,” the farmers explained. “Instead, the market price dropped to roughly N22,000 per bag, resulting in a loss of N22,577 per bag.” From a total output of 450,000 bags harvested across the 10,000 hectares, the farmers calculated an aggregate loss of over N10.16 billion.The letter warned that without immediate support, many producers—particularly in northern Nigeria—may abandon farming in the 2026 season, potentially undermining the Federal Government’s food security agenda. The farmers are requesting a bailout through the CBN, proposing free or heavily subsidized inputs such as fertilizer and urea. They pledged to reimburse the government with maize equivalent to part of the value of the supplied inputs at the end of the next season.
The farmers emphasized that such intervention would stabilize grain production, boost food availability, and deliver both political and economic benefits ahead of the 2027 general elections. They also requested an urgent meeting with government officials, noting that preparations for the next planting season are imminent.
