Cereals and grain legumes supply chain: implications for food and feed availability in Nigeria

Abstract

Cereals and grain legume are of benefits for human consumption and the feed industry. Grain merchants and market speculators are involved in their distribution across the country. Their low production outputs with imports restriction made their supply grossly inadequate to meet the demand. This paper examined selected grains output in Nigeria from 2010 to 2022, analysed grain supply chain and examined the implications of the activities of grains merchants on grains hoarding. The study used secondary data on output of maize, millet, sorghum, soybean, groundnut and cowpea. Data was presented using table and graph with the aid of Stata software. Conceptual analysis was adopted for the demonstration of grains supply flow. In 1,000 metric tonnes, output of millet reduced from 5,170 in 2010 to 2,000 in 2022. That of maize increased from 7,677 in 2010 to 12,745 in 2021; sorghum’s output reduced from 7,141 to 7,000 while that of soybean increased from 142 in 2010 to 680 in 2022. Outputs of millet and sorghum dipped between 2011 and 2013. Grain merchants and speculators hoard grains and sell at higher prices to households and feeds industry due to yearly excess demand over supply. Households buy grains and livestock products at higher prices, households in turn makes labour available to farmers at higher prices with concurrent general price increases. This affects food and feed availability. The paper recommended that Government should purchase grains directly from farmers. Industrial users should also be encouraged to be off-takers of grains through contract farming