Deepening Failure In Agriculture: The N33bn Apples, Strawberries 6-Month Importation And Abandoned North Central Fertile Land

Deepening Failure In Agriculture

 

OpenLife News reports that Nigeria’s deepening failure in agriculture and its dangerous over-reliance on imported consumables has again been exposed as the country spent a staggering N33 billion on importation of apples and strawberries in just six months.

Data from the foreign trade statistics compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the country imported N10.38 billion worth of apples in the first quarter of 2026 and another N22.65 billion worth of apples and strawberries in the second quarter, all from South Africa.

The huge import bill is for fruits that can grow abundantly on Nigeria’s own soil, particularly in the fertile North Central region, which remains largely abandoned due to government neglect.

Apples are known to thrive in temperate climates with 800–1,000+ chilling hours below 45°F (7°C) and moderate temperatures of 65–75°F (18–24°C) for optimal growth. This condition is suitable in Plateau State. Strawberries also thrive in moderate temperatures between 60°F and 80°F (15°C to 27°C), a climate the Plateau provides.

But despite having the land and climate, Nigeria has failed to develop its own production.

A former President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mohammed Gettado, confirmed that apples grow very well in Plateau State but suffered neglect because government considers it a fruit for the elite.

“In North Central Plateau State, apples grow very well. Unfortunately, people consider apples a fruit for the elite only.

“So, the government, especially the state government, has not been serious about mobilising farmers, training them, giving them improved varieties and the right inputs,” Gettado said.

He said production has remained “very small” because farmers lack support. “What farmers require are inputs such as fertiliser, agrochemicals and improved varieties, and they must be given at the right time, before planting.

“If farmers can get these, and also have access to markets, Nigeria can produce whatever it needs and even beyond.”

“If it is cheap and available, everybody will take it, the common man, the peasant farmer, because it is very healthy,” he added.

The same government failure extends to post-harvest logistics, which is killing local strawberry farming. Farmers in Jos, where strawberries are mostly farmed, have cited transport and rising heat as major threats.

The Chief Operating Officer of Limlim Foods, Deola Balogun, revealed how the country built production without securing logistics, forcing local produce to rot while the nation imports.

“Logistics cost more than the fruit and for years, Arik Airline was the only lifeline for Jos. That is the entire window.

“On our last attempt by road, we used Styrofoam boxes, packed ice for 48 hours, turned prayer warrior against checkpoint delays and rough roads, but still lost 20–30% to sweating fruit, broken boxes, heat pockets and delays,” she lamented.

“Nigeria built production without securing logistics, food security is logistics security. We’re not losing strawberries because farmers don’t know how to grow them, we’re losing them because a berry’s entire value chain depended on a plane we didn’t control.

“She warned that if Plateau produces 700 tons in a season and 50% is lost due to transportation logistics challenges, Lagos will import strawberries, puree and concentrate while fresh berries rot in Jos.

“Strawberries are just the clearest example of a delicate fruit with a 4-day lifespan exposing a national blind spot,” Balogun said.

The N33 billion spent in six months on fruits that rot in Jos highlights the complete failure of agricultural policy — fertile land abandoned in the North Central, farmers without inputs, no cold-chain logistics, and a government that prefers to spend scarce foreign exchange importing what it can grow.