Nigeria: Confronting wheat shortage

Wheat grain is in high demand from millers and pasta plants owners. To produce the required amount of wheat to feed the world’s growing population, researchers at Department of Global Development, Cornell University, United States predicted that wheat yields must increase at least 1.4 per cent yearly through 2030. Like other staples, wheat is cultivated in Nigeria. However, its production is not sufficient for domestic requirements. Despite this, population growth and increased feed grains requirements are expected to drive up Nigeria’s demand for wheat in the approaching years. The government has sought to reduce its reliance on imports by encouraging increased domestic production. Continued imports impose a significant drain on the Federal Government’s foreign exchange reserves. But farmers are encountering various problems from weather,to market prices and high costs of inputs. To keep feeding its vast and growing population, stakeholders resolved that efforts must be ...