{
  "id": 8410605,
  "title": "Why food prices remain high despite increased production – Minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/why-food-prices-remain-high-despite-increased-production-minister-8410605",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-19T07:56:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/why-food-prices-remain-high-despite-increased-production-minister/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated that food production has increased under President Bola Tinubu's administration, but high food prices persist due to issues in processing and distribution. While farm-gate prices have fallen, consumers have not seen the full benefits due to challenges between the production point and the market. The minister attributed Nigeria's continued reliance on food imports to population growth, low agricultural productivity, limited land access, and high farm input costs. He highlighted the government's efforts to reduce processed food imports through mechanization, local processing, and Special Agro-Processing Zones, which will be operational by the end of next year. Kyari also mentioned improved security enabling farmers to access previously inaccessible lands, leading to bumper harvests in 2024 and 2025. He expects 2026 harvests to exceed 2025's figures, citing improved productivity, stable input prices, and government interventions.",
  "summary": "Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture says food prices remain high due to processing and distribution gaps, despite increased production under the Tinubu admin Read More: https://punchng.com/why-food-prices-remain-high-despite-increased-production-minister/",
  "key_points": [
    "Food production increased under President Bola Tinubu's administration.",
    "High food prices persist due to processing and distribution issues.",
    "Government aims to reduce imports via mechanization and Special Agro-Processing Zones."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Mahama orders review of SHS menu as Education Minister assures students of adequate food",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/mahama-orders-review-of-shs-menu-as-education-minister-assures",
        "published": "2026-09-19T04:52:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Why food prices remain high despite increased production – Minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/why-food-prices-remain-high-despite-increased-production-minister",
        "published": "2026-09-19T07:54:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}