This study focused on ascertaining current barriers that affect the production of staple foods and how that affects affordability, in Nigeria. The study specifically focused on rice production, in Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria. The motivation for the study stems from the recent astronomical increase in the prices of staple foods in Nigeria, including rice, and the need to introduce urgent measures, aimed at addressing the impacts on consumers, in terms of affordability, as well as to prevent an escalation of the current food security challenges in the country. The objective of the study is to find out the current challenges confronting rice farmers in Ebonyi State, and the implications for affordability and food security. Data for the study was collected through key informant interviews, with 50 rice farmers in Ebonyi State. The collected data were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. The study found that the challenges which currently confronted farmers of rice in Ebonyi State and contribute to the recent hike in rice price include; the scarcity of land for cultivation, and the associated high land lease cost, high cost of fertilizers and insecticides, scarcity of labour, and erratic weather conditions, which sometimes affects crop yield. It was also found that the prices of previously subsidized fertilizers and insecticides, provided by the State government, have suddenly increased by almost 200 percent. Amongst others, this study recommends immediate government intervention in addressing the issue of high fertilizer and insecticides price, by forming partnerships with other organizations like NGOs, local and foreign, in order to bring down the prices and also expand the reach, in terms of the number of beneficiaries. It also recommends that government should provide more support by holding Agriculture Extension trainings, which will equip farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate round other challenges.
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