Some farmers’ associations in Lagos have blamed rising food prices on the recent increase in fuel prices.
The associations expressed their concerns in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.
The Lagos State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Sakin Agbayewa, said fuel prices affected every sector due to over-reliance on the oil sector.
Agbayewa said any increase in fuel prices would affect agriculture, particularly the cost of inputs, transportation and other farming activities.
“The situation in Nigeria today is that every sector is predominantly dependent on fuel prices. So any shift in oil markets will pose problems for agriculture.
“When fuel prices increase, every other commodity increases in price. But when fuel prices drop, commodity prices remain the same.
“The increase in fuel prices is posing a threat to our food security as the hike affects food costs.
“When there’s another shift, like the price comes down, you expect them to bring the price down, but they will not.
“That’s why we say if the foundation is faulty, what can the righteous do? Everything is reliant on the forces of fuel prices,” Agbayewa said.
He said the fuel price hike was affecting commodities prices, including the cost of agricultural inputs.
“It is fuel we need to power the vehicles to transport seedlings and fertilisers.
Fuel is also needed to move commodities from farmland to the market.
“By the time you calculate all this together, someone is going to bear the extra cost of production due to the fuel price hike, and that is the consumer.
“From harvesting, storage and transportation to the entire value chain, the costs all come down to the consumer.
“So whatever we do, the fuel price hike is a major problem. The fuel hike is affecting us across the board,” he said.
Agbayewa said the price of petrol had risen to about N1,400 per litre in some locations, with prices ranging from N1,390 to N1,395 in others.
“Automatically, there is an increase in transportation costs. The irony of the whole thing is that we are our own enemy,” he said.
The AFAN chairman, however, blamed some unscrupulous Nigerians for exploiting fuel price increases to raise food prices indiscriminately.
“Yes, I agree that there is a hike in fuel price, which we agree is tantamount to a hike in transportation costs.
“Now the question is this. Are you telling me that the agro-produce you are transporting from Ifo to Sango is charged per bag?
