A presidential policy committee, the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM), has revealed that about 3,500 rice farmers may abandon cultivation following massive losses estimated at ₦93 billion during the 2025 wet season.
The disclosure emerged from a dry-season farmer intention survey obtained by Sunday PUNCH, which covered 33,507 farmers across 13 pilot states. The survey showed that 10.6% of rice farmers plan to scale back or exit production during the 2025/2026 dry season.
When applied to the survey sample, this translates to approximately 3,500 farmers preparing to reduce or completely stop rice cultivation.
The findings were detailed in the 2025 Major Wet Season Impact Report released by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, alongside a communiqué from the NAPM Second Cycle Meeting held in Abuja between December 9 and 10, 2025.
According to the report, rice farmers recorded average losses of ₦20,220 per hectare during the 2025 wet season.
With Nigeria’s rice cultivation spanning about 4.6 million hectares, based on data from the Coalition for African Rice Development, the cumulative sector-wide loss is estimated at ₦93 billion.
Experts warn that unless urgent interventions are introduced, declining farmer confidence could threaten food security, local rice production, and rural livelihoods.
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