The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to restock the nation’s Strategic Food Reserve as part of efforts to ensure food security, stabilise commodity prices, and provide financial liquidity for farmers.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during a working tour of agricultural facilities in Kaduna on Thursday, alongside the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Aliyu, and other key stakeholders.
The visit coincided with the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security, where the government reiterated its commitment to tackling food inflation and supporting year-round production.
“Very soon, we are going to stock up strategic reserves, which will give a lot of financial liquidity to the agricultural sector for farmers to go into all-year-round farming, especially during the dry season,” Kyari stated.
He assured farmers that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is taking concrete steps to address the rising cost of agricultural inputs while ensuring citizens benefit from affordable food prices.
“President Tinubu is working on balancing the welfare of citizens with that of farmers. We will tackle the price of inputs to make farming more sustainable,” the minister added.
Kyari commended the high level of local participation in agricultural production and processing, describing it as aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Farmers and processors have heeded Mr. President’s clarion call on food security and food sovereignty. What we see on the ground aligns with the administration’s vision,” he said.
During the tour, the delegation visited several agro-processing facilities, including Olam Agri, TMDK Agro Park, DEBRANCH Farmers, Tomato Jos, and the Afriexim Bank Quality Assurance Office.
The quality assurance office, Kyari noted, aims to enhance the credibility of Nigerian agricultural produce for both domestic and export markets.
Mira Mehta, Chief Executive Officer of Tomato Jos, shared that her company’s mission is to promote “local production for local consumption”, reducing dependence on imported tomato paste and creating a rural middle class through consistent farmer engagement.
“We work with over 350 partner farmers, providing them with modern techniques, inputs, and a guaranteed market for their produce,” Mehta said.
She revealed that Tomato Jos operates the third-largest tomato processing plant in Nigeria, with investments exceeding $20 million, 60 per cent of whose beneficiaries are women.
However, Mehta decried the importation of tomato paste from China, describing it as harmful to Nigeria’s economy and a major obstacle to local processors. She also identified market access, fertiliser costs, pest infestation (notably Tuta Absoluta), and inconsistent policies as challenges facing the industry.
The CEO called on the Federal Government to establish a coordinated rapid-response mechanism to manage agricultural pests and diseases, as well as to partner with local processors to absorb their products through public food supply chains.
Nigeria currently operates 33 grain silos nationwide with a combined storage capacity of 1.136 million metric tonnes, underscoring the government’s potential to strengthen national food reserves and ensure stability in the agriculture sector.
