The National Coordinator and Secretary-General of the Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society, Retson Tedheke, has criticised what he described as unfavourable government policies affecting farmers and agricultural production in Nigeria.

Tedheke made the remarks during an interview at Gatte Farm Settlement, where he expressed concern over the challenges confronting farmers and the need for stronger government support to achieve sustainable food security.

According to him, access to affordable agricultural finance remains one of the major challenges facing Nigerian farmers. He questioned what he described as high interest rates on agricultural loans, comparing Nigeria’s situation with China’s reported lower-cost financing for farmers.

He also expressed concern about the continued importation of agricultural products, arguing that greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening domestic production and supporting Nigerian farmers.

However, official Federal Government programmes announced in 2025 and 2026 include agricultural financing at single-digit interest rates, including a ₦250 billion credit facility for smallholder farmers and a Bank of Agriculture programme offering financing at 9 percent.

‘Government Agencies Visit Our Farms but Support Is Limited’

Tedheke said government officials and representatives from various agencies frequently visit farm settlements and benefit from locally produced agricultural products, but argued that farmers still require more direct institutional support.

He said Gatte Farm Settlement had demonstrated that sustainable agricultural production was possible when farmers had access to the right infrastructure and resources.

According to him, the settlement has planted more than 3,000 palm trees since it began operations about a decade ago, with the trees now reaching the harvesting stage.

He attributed the development of the palm plantation to the fertile soil in the area and the installation of solar-powered water pumps, which he said enable the farm settlement to irrigate its economic trees and crops throughout the year.

Tedheke also rejected suggestions that the settlement’s agricultural investments were funded by the World Bank, insisting that the farmers had developed their operations through their own efforts and resources.

Diversified Agricultural Production

The National Coordinator said food security required a comprehensive agricultural system capable of producing different categories of food locally.

He highlighted the farm settlement’s poultry and livestock activities, saying the facility breeds local birds, turkeys, ducks, cattle and rams.

He explained that the settlement also operates fish ponds and cultivates a variety of crops, including pepper, yam, rice, maize and soybean.

According to him, the farmers consume part of their production while the surplus is supplied to markets across Nigeria.

He said the settlement currently employs more than 100 workers and spends approximately ₦5 million monthly on maintaining its operations.

‘Gatte Rice Has the Capacity for Large-Scale Production’

Speaking about rice production at the settlement, Tedheke said Gatte Farm Settlement possesses what he described as a quality rice mill but faces a major challenge in securing sufficient quantities of paddy rice.

He said increased availability of paddy during the farming season would enable the settlement to maximise the capacity of its rice mill and produce Gatte rice on a larger scale for consumers.

The Federal Government has also recently held consultations with farmers, millers and other stakeholders on Nigeria’s rice value chain, with the stated objective of strengthening domestic production, improving farmer livelihoods and making rice more affordable to consumers.

Plans for Wine Production

Tedheke disclosed that the farm settlement had also commenced preparations for grape production as part of a long-term plan to venture into wine production and export.

He said about 125,000 grape trees are projected to be planted by 2030.

He cautioned that the project is still at an early stage and that there is currently no major success story to report from the wine venture because the trees are still growing.

Drawing an analogy with the development of major industrial investments, Tedheke said it takes time to build a large-scale enterprise and expressed optimism that the wine project would eventually yield positive results.

He said the planned operation of the farm settlement’s dam would provide water for the economic trees and crops throughout the year, thereby strengthening the agricultural activities of the settlement.

Call for Greater Investment in Agriculture

Tedheke called for increased investment in agriculture, stressing that food security requires sustained support for farmers, infrastructure, affordable financing, irrigation, processing facilities and access to markets.

He maintained that the Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society was committed to producing food locally and contributing to Nigeria’s food supply.

While criticising aspects of the Federal Government’s agricultural policies, Tedheke said farmers needed policies that would make production more affordable and competitive.

The Federal Government, for its part, says food security remains a major priority of the Tinubu administration and has outlined measures involving agricultural financing, mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing and agro-value chains.

Tedheke nevertheless urged policymakers to pay greater attention to farmers at the grassroots, arguing that sustainable food security would depend largely on the ability of Nigerian farmers to produce, process and distribute food efficiently.