Nigeria to harvest 135,000 tonnes of wheat in 2025/2026: USDA

NIGERIA – Nigeria is expected to harvest 135,000 tonnes of wheat in the 2025/2026 season, according to the latest report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published on March 19.

This forecast represents a 13% increase from the previous season’s 120,000 tonnes, driven by improved yields and an expansion of cultivated land.

The USDA attributes this positive outlook to an expected 7% rise in yields, reaching 1.2 tonnes per hectare due to the adoption of improved seed varieties. Contracted farmers receiving financial incentives are projected to achieve even higher yields of up to 3 tonnes per hectare through these improved agricultural inputs.

Additionally, the total area dedicated to wheat cultivation is set to expand to 115,000 hectares, 15,000 hectares more than the previous season.

Jigawa and Kano states remain the dominant wheat-producing regions, accounting for 70% of Nigeria’s total output. However, wheat production is also increasing in Borno and Adamawa states, where security improvements have allowed farmers to reclaim and cultivate more land.

While the announced growth in cereal production is good news for the sector, it remains insufficient to reduce dependence on imports.

Nigeria’s wheat output still falls significantly short of the country’s consumption needs, which averaged 5.8 million tonnes annually between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Government expands farmland with 10 million-hectare plan

Recognizing the broader agricultural challenges, the Nigerian government is intensifying efforts to enhance food security and reduce reliance on imports through large-scale farmland development.

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) recently unveiled a 10-year strategic plan to develop 10 million hectares of farmland.

Announced on March 23 by NALDA’s executive secretary, Cornelius Adebayo, this initiative seeks to optimize land use, boost agricultural production, and increase exports.

According to Adebayo, the program includes land preparation, irrigation, and infrastructure development for farmers. The pilot phase is already underway, covering 900,000 hectares in Benue and Zamfara states, with planned expansions in Plateau and Borno states, he noted.

While details on specific crops targeted under the plan remain undisclosed, the initiative is expected to maximize Nigeria’s agricultural potential, given that less than 50% of the country’s 79 million hectares of arable land is currently cultivated.

These agricultural initiatives are crucial in addressing Nigeria’s growing food security concerns.

According to a briefing note published on March 14 by the World Food Programme (WFP), malnutrition remains a significant challenge, particularly in the north, where 5.4 million children under five and 787,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are either suffering or at risk of acute malnutrition, marking a 23% increase in the number of severely malnourished children.

The WFP projects that approximately 33.2 million people in the country will face food insecurity between June and September 2025.

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