the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

The Relative Priority andEconomics of Growing Wheat in NigeriaA.a. OgUDgblle, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Zaria, NigeriaAbstractThe main aims of <strong>the</strong> Nigerian government policy ofproducing wheat on largescaleirrigation schemes were to substantially increasefood production and toachieve import substitution objectives. Many years after <strong>the</strong> establishment of <strong>the</strong>projects. those objectives are stillfarfrom beingfuifUled. Although wheatproduction appears more profitable than some cereal crop enterprises. averageyields have remained lower than <strong>the</strong> potential. Timely planting. better inputdelivery and improved extension services arefactors crucial to achievingproduction increases. Local market prices are higher than <strong>the</strong> governmentproducer price and, <strong>the</strong>refore. farmers do not sell to <strong>the</strong>.flour mills.327Wheat has been grown traditionally in<strong>the</strong> river valleys in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn parts ofNigeria for many years. However. earlyproduction was on a small scale. with<strong>the</strong> grain being sold in local markets asa luxury product used for makingtraditional dishes (4). Its importance in<strong>the</strong> diet of <strong>the</strong> people has increaseddramatically in recent years withincreases in income and population.Annual wheat importation rose fromabout 190.000 tons in 1969 to about1.5 million tons in 1983. costing <strong>the</strong>country nearly US$ 290 million inforeign exchange. A total of US$ 1.95billion was spent on food imports in1980 (5). with wheat constituting <strong>the</strong>single largest item in Nigeria's heavyfood import bill. The sudden popularityof wheat bread in <strong>the</strong> Nigerian diet. and<strong>the</strong> consequent increase in wheatimportation. prompted <strong>the</strong> Nigeriangovernment to encourage <strong>the</strong>production of wheat in substantialquantities domestically.Objectives of <strong>the</strong> WheatProduction and Water ResourceDevelopment PolleyGovernment encouragement ofdomestic wheat production for flourcannot be isolated from <strong>the</strong> agriculturalpolicy of achieving self-suffiCiency infood production and promoting <strong>the</strong>welfare of <strong>the</strong> rural people. The mainobjectives of domestic wheat productionare 1) to stimulate substitution forimported wheat in order to improve <strong>the</strong>balance of payment situation. 2) topromote agro-industrtal developmentand 3) to enhance food productionefforts (1).The majority of <strong>the</strong> wheat consumed inNigeria is in <strong>the</strong> form of bread. In orderto facilitate <strong>the</strong> processing of wheat intoflour. a flour-milling industry wasconsidered. not only as an integral partof <strong>the</strong> package of wheat production. butalso as an important agro-based infantindustry that would have to be protectedfrom foreign competition. This proVided<strong>the</strong> justification for increasing <strong>the</strong>number of flour mills to five by 1980.with a joint capacity of 1.2 million tonsof wheat per annum.Wheat Production andWater Resource DevelopmentSince <strong>the</strong> early 19708. increasedemphasis has been given to <strong>the</strong>development of irrigation. as a means ofachieving <strong>the</strong> full agricultural potentialof <strong>the</strong> country (5). The Sahel drought of<strong>the</strong> early 19708 gave impetus to heavypublic investment in irrigation schemes.About US$ 398.4 million and $2.95