In a worrying development, the price of Nigeria’s popular staple food, garri, has risen by 108% in just three months. The dramatic price increase is largely due to a decrease in cassava production, which is the main ingredient of garri. This worrying trend could have serious implications for food security in Nigeria.
According to data from major markets in the FCT, the average price of a 50kg bag of yellow garri increased by 108% in just three months. Specifically, the price rose from N18,000 in December 2023 to a staggering N37,500 in March 2024.
The price of yellow garri sold in 4-litre paint containers also increased by over 100%, from N1,200 in December 2023 to an average of N2,500 in March 2024. Likewise, the price of white garri sold in 50kg bags increased by 105%, from N17,000 in December 2023 to N35,000 in March 2024.
According to FAO data, Nigeria is the largest producer and consumer of cassava in the world, with a projected production of 60.8 million metric tonnes in 2022.
According to farmers, several factors, including climate change, insecurity, and uncertainty around the outcome of last year’s elections, negatively impacted cassava production in 2023. This has resulted in a significant drop in production levels, with potentially serious consequences for the country.
Segun Adewumi, the National President of NCGA, said the uncertainty around the 2023 elections led many farmers to be discouraged from planting cassava last year. In his words, “The political instability and uncertainty before and during the elections discouraged many farmers from investing in the production of cassava, leading to a significant decrease in production levels.