NIGERIA – Nigeria’s corn acreage has contracted to 5.1 million hectares for the 2024/2025 season, marking its lowest level in 14 years, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA attributes this decline, the lowest level since the 2010/2011 agricultural season, to heightened insecurity and increased input costs, deterring farmers from cultivating the crop.
However, despite the reduced acreage, corn production may still match last year’s levels due to improved yields in some regions.
According to the Mantle Labs Crop Conditions Index, which utilizes satellite data and AI to monitor crop health, Katsina State, Nigeria’s second-largest corn-producing area, has seen the highest corn yields since 2019.
However, Mantle Labs highlights that despite Katsina’s projections, crop health has either remained stable or slightly deteriorated in other parts of the country.
Jon Pierre, CEO of Mantle Labs, noted that Nigeria has been gradually losing corn acreage to other crops due to challenges like insecurity and high production costs.
Yet, a rebound in yields could offset the reduced planting area, potentially keeping total production flat year-over-year.
“However, corn production looks set to be on par with last year as a rebound in yields makes up for reduced planting”
The report noted that even if Nigeria’s corn output remains flat year-over-year, it would be a positive outcome, especially as several African countries are grappling with crop shortages following a drought that devastated harvests in Ghana and much of Southern Africa.
Recently, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that prices for staple crops in Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to remain above the five-year average due to reduced production, global price increases, and trade disruptions.
This situation poses serious concerns for food accessibility and affordability, with 55 million people in the region at risk of hunger in 2024, particularly women and children.
As a cushion, the Nigerian government has implemented measures to lower food costs, including a 180-day window for importing wheat and corn to stabilize prices in the open market following food-driven inflation concerns, which hit 34% in June 2024.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ World Food Programme is pursuing its largest-ever drought relief effort in Southern Africa, aiming to secure 290,000 tons of grain to mitigate food shortages.
Ghana also seeks to raise US$500 million to counteract the effects of drought-induced grain shortages.
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