The Maize Association of Nigeria- MAAN, has urged the federal government of Nigeria to support maize farmers in order to help them meet their 2020 target in producing 22 million tons of corn.

Dr. Bello Abubakar, president of MAAN, in a statement, said the intervention has become necessary to enable the country to avoid a food shortage which has been triggered by the novel COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He further emphasized that maize farmers were concerned about the inability to access their farms due to the mandatory lockdown and unavailability of inputs. What is even more frustrating is the fact that the wet season, which favors cultivation is around the corner.

Additionally, the suspension of flights into the country has significantly delayed the importation of inputs thus making the industry stagnant at the moment.

“Before the pandemic, a bag of maize was between N8,000 and N11,000 in the open market but now the price has fallen which means the farmer is making losses,” Abubakar said.

MAAN recommends that the Nigerian government set up a committee that can parley with commodity associations, to get inputs directly to farmers, the association also believes it would ensure that genuine farmers get the needed inputs.

Nations are dealing with the ripple effect of COVID-19 on food supply, employment, manufacturing amongst other things.

However, developing countries have a tougher reality on ground, Nigerian citizens that depend on monthly wages from employers, are in a tight position to meet their daily needs such as food, shelter and clothing.

The government needs to prioritize the importance of food supply in the country in order to achieve positive results from the isolation period.

It will require significant solutions that can improve food supply domestically, as exports from other countries have slowed down due to the pandemic.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) disclosed that about 7 million Nigerians will experience food shortage between June and August 2020 in 16 northern states namely Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Niger.