Major problems Facing Agriculture in Nigeria
Agriculture in Nigeria has the potential to generate more if we can tackle the problems head-on instead of looking short fixes. Here are some of the problems we’ve identified and proposed solution:
- Lack of Modernization/Mechanization:
At this day and age, farmers in Nigeria still rely on crude tools for farming and storage and this can inadvertently affect productivity. For instance, lack of proper irrigation tools makes it difficult to farm during the dry season and lack of mechanical tools such as tractors to substitute manual labor hinders productivity due to fatigue.
- Lack of Information:
Lack of information is one of the major problems that exist in Nigeria’s agriculture sector. To begin with, there is more to farming than just digging the soil and planting crops. Farmers need to know how to select the right seed variety to get optimum yield, the best time for planting, best on-farm practices to reduce crop loss and how to partner with the right off-takers to get the best price for their product
- Poor Infrastructure:
The absence of fundamental facilities and inadequate systems have been a major stumbling block in the agriculture business in Nigeria. Poor infrastructure discourages potential local and foreign investment and leads to wastage of the farm products that are cultivated under this.
- Poor Research and Record Keeping:
Farm records are kept carelessly if kept at all. Farmers do not have accurate tracking of farm activities and farm information. Information about the Nigerian farm market is not easily accessible and adequate information such as market prices are pertinent. This opens the door to adulteration of figures regarding farming in Nigeria. Agricultural development in Nigeria cannot be measured if there is disorganization of the farm records for research purposes. This makes it hard to narrow down certain farming issues and proffer solutions.
- Finance:
88% of Nigerian farmers are considered small family farmers. Some of this stems from the lack of funds to expand to large scale farming. Despite their importance for the domestic economy and due to the sector’s productivity limitations, more than 72 percent of Nigeria’s smallholders live below the poverty line of USD 1.9 (691) a day.
One of the major factors limiting farmers from growing and making a reasonable living is lack of funds. These funds are difficult to come by as some banks do not loan to them for various reasons. This leads to the farmers struggling to make a living, asking disinterested family members to take part in farming instead of hiring proper human labor, and affecting agricultural productivity overall. Lack of capital also prevents potential farmers from venturing into farming business.