FoodFarmNews: 2026

Saturday, 30 May 2026

We have done all needed, says shea butter president

The National Shea Products Association of Nigeria (NASPAN), Mohammed Ahmed Kontagora has commended the joint effort of the Federal Government ( FG) towards ensuring preservation of the shea nuts for local productivity.

New President Calls for Coffee, Tea sector Expansion

The recently elected president, Coffee Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria ( CPPMA) Mr. Hassan Usman has called for an enhanced coffee and tea productivity in Nigeria, describing the sub sector as a key opportunity for economic diversification, rural empowerment, and national industrial growth.

As Nigerians prepare for the forthcoming Muslim Sallah celebration, many faithfuls across the country have expressed concern over the sharp increase in the prices of rams.

A cassava farmer counts losses

A cassava farmer has shared pathetic losses he incurred during the 2025 farming season as prices decrease daily.

Nigeria among top 10 Climate-Vulnerable nations, says ARCN boss

Nigeria has been ranked among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, according to recent global climate risk assessments measuring exposure to extreme weather events and natural hazards. The ranking has renewed concerns over the country’s agricultural sustainability, rural livelihoods, and long-term food security.

Impeach any Governor who diverts allocations for hunger, others, says ActionAid

The ActionAid Nigeria's Country Director, Dr. Andrew Mamedu has called for immediate impeachment of any Governor caught with diversion of funds meant to enhance the state's food security and other social infrastructure to any political motive saying such action should be severely dealt with.

The National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN) has successfully concluded its National Executive Election held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, ushering in a new leadership team focused on transforming Nigeria’s coffee and tea industry through strategic development, sustainable agriculture, export expansion, youth inclusion, and global industry collaboration.

Federal Ministry Recognizes Ademola Adesokan as NCAN President

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has officially recognized Mr. Ademola Adesokan as the substantive President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), reaffirming his leadership of the association.

Research Funding: How integrity helps IAR to survive

The Deputy Director (DD), Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Prof. Nafiu Abdu has said the external funding support had really assisted the Institute especially in the last two years when only 30% of budget funding was released to all agencies to execute their capital projects including research.

Agric Commodity Associations commend IAR

The National President, National Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association ( NSUNGMAN) , Alhaji Jubril Bukar has commended the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria for its consistency in the provision of improved technologies for food sustainability in Nigeria.

FG opens talk on tractors distribution to 774 LGA

The Federal Government ( FG) is planning a modality of how tractors utilization at the 774 local government areas would be achieved to farming activities with a solid financial sustainable pay back strategy, involving a Kano based agro limited company.

Editorial: CBN should stop selling fertilizers

Our attention has been drawn to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials meddling into selling fertilizers by themselves. This is unconstitutional, and outrightly off its mandate monetary policy.

Varietal Release Committee suspends 4 GM cottons pending NBMA clearance

The National Varietal Release Committee ( NVRC) has suspended four (4) Genetically Modified ( GM) cotton varieties recently released for commercialization at its 36th meeting held in Ibadan.

Lowland Rice Release: NCRI, ICS-CAAS-China announce a new drought tolerant variety-FARO 73

The Federal Government ( FG) constituted authority for the release and registration of improved crop varieties for food security, and nutritional value addition has officially approved the commercialization of a lowland rice variety called FARO 73 into the Nigeria market to boost food productivity just as to enhance national sufficiency of the nation's leading staple food.

$134M Agriculture Programme: Officials Debunk Wheat Funding Claims, Reveal Bigger Picture

Amid mounting public debate, officials overseeing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) have pushed back against claims that a $134 million intervention fund is solely dedicated to wheat production, describing such assertions as misleading and incomplete.

The Executive Director ( ED), Institute for Agricultural Research ( IAR), Zaria, Prof. Yusuf Ado has called on plant breeders to harness the organic nature in micro organisms to checkmate excessive use of inorganic fertilizers on soil and crops production.

Fresh controversy is rocking Nigeria’s agricultural sector as insider from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) has raised an alarm over a deliberate inflation of fertilizer procurement cost within the system.

Varietal registrar announces training for breeders

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology ( NACGRAB), Dr. A.U Okere said the centre would soon embark on breeders' training in order to achieve better varieties registration.

IAR ED emphasises on NARIs partnership

The Executive Director ( ED), Institute for Agricultural Research ( IAR,), Zaria, Prof. Yusuf Ado has expressed the need for more partnership synergy between National Agricultural Research Institutes ( NARIs), saying it would enhance technologies' wider spread across the nation towards food security.

FG releases maize for pop corn, meat Chicken, others

The 36th edition of National Varietal Release Committee (NVRC) Meeting for crops, livestock breed/ fisheries domiciled at NACGRAB, and chaired by Prof. Olusoji Olufajo has approved the first ever improved maize varieties for commercial pop corn production along with another quality meat chicken with several other releases that will ensure national food security inclusive of vitamin nutrients provision for the humans' body.

Images speak @ the 36th Varietal Release Meeting held today 26th 2026, at the Lafia Hotel, Ibadan.

Stakeholders query CBN fertilizers sale

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector have raised concerns over the reported sale of fertilizers by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pointed at how relevant this was to its mandate just as they questioned the expiration date of the items.

Onion farmers urge Govt on agric subsidies

Onion farmers in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government ( FG) to prioritize and sustain subsidies in the agricultural sector, warned that food insecurity could worsen if support for farmers were reduced.

Nihort says internally generated seed varieties will reduce disease cases

The Executive Director (ED), National Institute for Horticultural Research (NIHORT), Prof. Mohammed Lawal Attanda has recently posited that availability of locally generated improved seed varieties will reduce the incidences of pest diseases in the country's food security system.

The Secretary General (SG), Maize Association of Nigeria ( MAN), Mr. Bamidele Ayeni has called on the Federal Government ( FG) to speedify action that will address unstable prices of maize in Nigeria.

2026 Agric Budget: Stakeholders oppose N89b for fertilizer

Stakeholders in the Agricultural sector have expressed contrary positions on the highest budget funding being allocated to fertilizers at the expense of other programs towards sustainable food security.

Agric Ministers parry response to unpaid salaries at Soil Institute

The two ministers, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) have tactically dodged answers to non payment of workers' salaries at the Institute of Soil Science of Nigeria just as no response was given to over 90% of the 2026 ministry's budget being given to National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) alone.

Former Agric director calls for stronger data-driven farming reforms

A former director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Engr. Akeju Olagbaju has emphasized the need for a stronger data system that will enhance easy appraisal of farming reform towards food security in the country just as he requested for more collaboration with other stakeholders.

A former house of representative member, at the National Assembly, Hon. Munir Babba Dan Agundi has described a jump from N10 billion to N1.4t for food import as too outrageous within three months.

High bread price contradicts claim of FG's food decline, says ActionAids

The ActionAid, Nigeria has called on the Federal Government ( FG) to intensify effort that will ensure the price decline of bread for Nigerians like other food items the government claimed are declining.

Images @ Fed Agric Ministry quarterly citizens/stakeholders session

Images speak @ quarterly citizens and stakeholders engagement session held in Abuja today.

Budget padding: Agric research institutes blame legislators

Some heads of National Agricultural Research Institutes ( NARIs) have expressed their dissatisfaction on the budget padding that usually overshot their actual financial projects being spent annually, and thereby runs contrary to the best international practices.

Cashew Crisis Looms: Farmers Reject Export Ban, Demand Cheap Loans as Industry Faces Internal Turmoil

Nigeria’s cashew industry has raised fresh concerns over proposed restrictions on the export of raw cashew nuts, warning that such a move could disrupt livelihoods, weaken production, and diminish the country’s competitiveness in the global market.

Researchers record breakthrough in bitter kola production

Researchers at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, have been able to significantly reduce the gestation period of the bitter kola tree from between 30 and 20 years to about 3 years.

Pres Tinubu extends raw shea nuts export ban

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the extension of the ban placed on the export of raw shea nuts for another year, effective from February 26, 2026, to the following month of next year.

The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has applauded the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), describing it as a valuable tool for improving agricultural planning and productivity across the country.

The National President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Ademola Adesokan, has stated that former president, Ojo Ajanaku, has no legal authority to expel members or suspend the association’s Board of Trustees (BoT), describing such actions as invalid and contrary to an existing court judgment.

NASC boss advocates tractors distribution to 774 LGAs

The Director General/CEO, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Hon. Fatuhu Buhari has wished that the Belarus tractors be distributed across 774 local government areas of Nigeria where actual farmings are done

Agric Minister, State advocates re capitalization for NAIC

The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) Sen. Abdullahi Sabi Abdullahi has called for financial galvanization of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) towards security of farms' produce.

Editorial: Budget padding in Agric research institutes is absurd

The cases of budget padding in Nigeria's democratic process are very prominent in the last two decades, but allowing such to enter into agricultural research institutes is where it becomes a thing of great concern to us, especially with the present food insecurity in the country that needs pragmatic spending for the sector's development.

Soil science boss laments no funding, says workers live on mercy

The Chief Executive Officer ( CEO), Nigeria Institute of Soil Science ( NISS), Prof. Victor Chude has lamented the non-release of budget funding to his organization since the assumption of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the number one citizen of the country.

Agric Minister clamours tractors maintenance

* Distributes 2000 units

The Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) Sen. Abubarka Kyari has emphasized to the off takers of the Federal Government ( FG) 2,000 Belarus tractors' maintenance, saying it was key to enhancing food security sustainability.

Food Security: Lawmakers decry cuts on agric funding

The joint session of the National Assembly members on Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development at the National Assembly have in one accord described the continuous cuts in the funding of agriculture as being possible to undermine government seriousness to emergency declaration on food security in the country.

NiMet asks farmers, others to seek its counsel on early rains prediction

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) management has asked farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chains in Nigeria to ensure best practices based on the 2026 climate prediction of early rains in about thirteen states with 21 days dry spell before embarking on cultivations or any other food related activities to avoid weather-related complications.

The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) has distanced itself from claims by farmers alleging losses of over N1.7 trillion purportedly arising from inaccurate weather forecasts issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

Farmers warn against low food production in 2026

There are growing concerns that Nigeria may experience low food production in 2026 due to carryover challenges from previous farming seasons, with obvious delays in the preparation for the current year, coupled with worsening insecurity across key agricultural regions.