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Agriculture: crops, livestock, forestry and fishing
The largest employer in Nigeria and a quarter of the economy. Crop production alone is about as large as all wholesale and retail trade.
Agriculture in numbers
Latest official figures. Shares and growth are in real terms (2019 prices) unless marked nominal.
Growth against the economy
What drives the sector
Rainfall and floods
Most farming is rain-fed, so the timing of the rains and flood seasons shapes each harvest.
Security in farming areas
Insecurity in parts of the North and Middle Belt keeps farmers off their land and raises food prices.
Input costs
Fertiliser, seed, agro-chemicals and diesel are priced off the exchange rate and global markets.
Storage and transport
Post-harvest losses and the cost of moving food from farm to city add to what households pay.
Regulators and main players
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
Policy, input programmes and food security strategy.
State governments
Land allocation, extension services and many farm programmes.
Bank of Agriculture and NIRSAL
Farm credit and risk-sharing for lenders to agriculture.
Commodity exchanges and processors
Off-takers that buy, store and process crops such as rice, maize, sesame and cocoa.
What to watch
We do not publish forecasts. These are the signals we follow for this sector.
Food inflation
The monthly NBS food index is the clearest signal of supply conditions.
Rainy season and harvest
Planting from April to July and harvests from September shape prices into the new year.
Import policy
Duty waivers or bans on staples change the price local farmers can get.
Fertiliser prices
A large cost item that follows gas prices and the naira.
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