The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Kaduna State has raised the alarm over worsening insecurity and surging fertiliser prices, warning that the twin challenges are threatening food production across the state ahead of the planting season.
AFAN’s Kaduna State Chairman, Nuhu Aminu, told journalists that farmers in several local government areas can no longer safely access their farmlands due to persistent attacks by bandits and kidnappers, with communities in parts of Giwa, Kauru, Kubau, Kudan, Kajuru, Sanga, and Kachia identified as the worst affected.
“Insecurity is seriously affecting farming activities. Some farmers cannot even go to their farms because of attacks and kidnappings in their communities,” Aminu said, adding that fear has gripped rural settlements as criminals continue to raid villages and farmlands, forcing some farmers to abandon cultivation altogether.
He warned that the sustained climate of violence had eroded farmers’ confidence and could significantly reduce food supply if authorities failed to urgently address security conditions in farming communities.
Beyond the security crisis, Aminu said the steep rise in chemical fertiliser prices had placed crop production further out of reach for smallholder farmers who make up the bulk of Kaduna’s agricultural workforce. The association, he said, was actively promoting organic fertiliser as a cheaper alternative, though he acknowledged that many farmers still lacked the means to procure sufficient quantities for their farms.
AFAN called on federal, state, and local governments to subsidise fertiliser and ensure farm inputs reach farmers before the planting season peaks. Aminu also urged the government to prioritise agriculture through targeted support and incentives, describing the sector as a critical pillar of the national economy.
