Prices of cowpea and beans in Nigeria have dropped significantly, following a significant increase in harvest output.
Gatekeepers News reports that a 100kg bag now sells between N80,000 and N120,000, a huge drop from the N210,000 to N240,000 range recorded in 2024.
Kabir Shuaibu, President of the Cowpea and Beans Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (C&BFPMAN), revealed this during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The president attributed the price decline to a bumper harvest fueled by favourable weather conditions and expanded cultivation.
He said, “Currently, a bag of beans up North costs between N80,000 and N120,000, depending on the species you are buying. As of this time last year, due to the poor harvests, the same bag sold between N210,000 and N240,000.”
“We do hope for continued increased harvest in the sector as it benefits both the farmers and the consumers.”
Shuaibu explained that some farmers recorded harvests up to ten times higher than in previous years, noting that improved weather and intercropping methods significantly boosted yield.
He recalled that last year’s price surge was triggered by devastating flooding, which wiped out expected yields and forced many farmers to harvest only a fraction of their normal output.
The president said, “We are glad the price of beans and cowpeas in general has dropped since the harvest from last year. We harvested over 10 times what we usually harvested in the past years. “
“The main reason for the drop in price is the increase we got from our cultivation. This implies that with an increased supply of the produce, the prices will drop.”
“The reason for the hike in the price of beans last year was due to the poor harvest in the previous year. “
“You can imagine a farmer who planted in a hectare of land and expecting 10,000 bags of beans but was only able to harvest and could only get a few bags due to flooding.”
“The situation of bean hike we witnessed last year was one we had not experienced in the sector for the past 10 years. We hope it does not recur.”
“Another reason for the surplus in the harvest of beans this year is that farmers did not take chances. While cultivating corn, they also planted beans and cowpeas along the rows, hence the increased harvest and subsequent drop in price of the produce.”
