Cheaper imported rice is flooding markets but local farmers say it’s costing them their livelihoods.
Rice farmers across Nigeria are raising alarm over rising imports, warning that the trend is crippling local production and pushing many out of business.
Stakeholders say the situation worsened after the Federal Government’s import duty waiver on rice in 2024, which opened the floodgates for cheaper foreign brands.
Acting Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Sakin Agbayewa, said local farmers are struggling to compete as imported rice sells far below locally produced varieties.
According to him, rising costs of fertilisers, climate challenges, and global tensions affecting agro-input prices have only made matters worse.
Farmers say many are now reconsidering planting this season, as they can’t break even in a market dominated by imports.
Meanwhile, traders confirm that rice prices have dropped due to increased supply, with imported brands now undercutting local options—forcing some producers to repackage their rice to stay afloat.
Industry players are now calling on government to urgently support local farmers or risk a total collapse of Nigeria’s rice production sector.
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