…. Receives Delivery of N194bn Worth of Grain
Although six vessels have berthed with 209,944 tonnes of wheat valued at N194 billion ($118 million) at the Lagos ports in the past one month, import strains of the produce pose the challenge of a projected hike in prices.
Bad weather has hit Russian grain badly, leading to a 30 per cent fall in exports.
Nigerian importers may have to struggle with hurdles to secure cheap wheat imports after they have exhausted their three million tonnes quotas in 2024.
Despite several initiatives, Nigeria still depends heavily on wheat imports to augment local production. Shortfalls in imports may shoot up prices.
Of the current new imports to Lagos Port, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)’s shipping position indicated three of the vessels have offloaded 168,872 tonnes or 80 per cent of the consignment at Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL), Lagos Port led by Unity Discovery with 57,029.34 tonnes; Alypso N, 54,999 tonnes and Copenhagen Commerce, 56,844 tonnes.
Also, Sweet Lady II, 37,400 tonnes and Allegra, 29,701 tonnes berthed at Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL) of the port, while Alda berthed with 31,000 tonnes at Josepdam, Tincan Island Port in January.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Russia’s grain exports would fall by as much as 30 per cent this year, reaching their lowest levels since Soviet times. a major agricultural association has warned.
The Head of the Russian Grain Union (RGU), Arkady Zlochevsky, said that demand from the main importers, Middle East and North Africa of Russian grain would remain stable as it had maintained a strong position in Egypt and Algeria.
However, he explained that exports to Nigeria had already exceeded three million tonnes in the current exporting season as demand from the country had been increased due to its rapidly growing population.
The grain union said that farmers would sell between 48 and 49 million tonnes of grain overseas in 2025, down from 72 million tonnes in 2024, following the decline in exports.
However, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, had said that wheat farmers were expecting a bumper harvest this year based on the Federal Government’s intervention in phase one of dry season wheat production of 2024-2025, which ended in December 2024.
According to him, about 300,000 farmers were supported to cultivate 150,000 hectares, which meant one farmer per half a hectare.
Kyari stressed that the Federal Government subsidised wheat seeds to the tune of 75 per cent, with farmers paying 25 per cent of the seed amount.
He noted: “Then, in terms of fertilisation, it’s also 50-50, just like we did last year, 50 per cent subsidy of fertiliser to the farmers. We are waiting for the vegetative growth and also subsequently, the harvest sometime around March and April 2025.
“We have a lot of expectations this year because the farmers have expressed desires to go into wheat more than ever before, simply because of the attraction and the profit.”
Kyari explained that Cross River had become a wheat producing state, saying this was the first time a southern state joined the other 15 northern wheat producing states.
The minister said: “It is a pilot scheme that we’re going to have in the northern part of Cross River. Wheat, of course, is a crop that is cultivated in cold season and under irrigation.
In addition to the dry season, we also intend to pilot wet season wheat cultivation in highland areas that are temperate, that are colder, places like Taraba , Plateau , and the same Cross River.
“We have a harvest that far exceeds that of the previous year in all the major staple crops that we have cultivated during the wet season in 2024. forward, we also have engaged and have launched the dry season cultivation of 2024 through 2025.”
Recall that in November 2024, about 241,543 tonnes of grain valued at N103 billion ($60.38 million) were ferried to Calabar, Tincan Island and Lagos ports in nine vessels.
At Lagos Port, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)’s shipping data revealed that Desert Pioneer berthed at Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) with 55,557 tonnes; Desert Spring, 53,495.
Also, Standard Flour Mills (SFM) received 12,124 tonnes from Global Fortune, while Josepdam handled 71,567 tonnes from Bulk Sachuest and Zante with 35,784 tonnes and 33,783 tonnes respectively.
At Calabar Port, three vessels offloaded 50,800 tonnes at Ecomarine terminal from Star Mistral with 17,000 tonnes; Maina,15,000 tonnes and MV Altus,18,800 tonnes.
In May, data from the International Grains Council (IGC) reported that Nigerian flour millers had imported 3.8 million tonnes of wheat valued between July 2023 and April 2024.
Also in September 2024, about 237,115 tonnes of wheat valued at N88.42 billion ($53.52 million) were discharged from Anika with 53,400 tonnes; Bulk Endurance, 45,000 tonnes; Maina, 25,674 tonnes; Capt. Eugene, 30,000 tonnes; Desert Harrier, 54,041 tonnes and Supra Duke, 29,000 tonnes as Calabar Port took delivery of 15, 100 tonnes from MV Dirina.