According to Segun Adewumi, President of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, the recent reduction in cassava supply and increased cost of cassava products is due to herdsmen attacks on farms.

“It has been a very difficult time for cassava farmers in Nigeria because of the incessant attacks by herdsmen, who make it difficult for them to go to their farms.

“Farmers are afraid to go and cultivate; some farmers have lost their lives for venturing into the farms.

He said “garri”, flour, “fufu”, starch and semolina had become more costly, because these attacks caused cassava farmers to stop farming in some parts of the country.

Also, insurance firms did not compensate the affected farmers because policies taken by the farmers did not cover malicious damage to farms, he said.

A small paint bucket measure of cassava flakes, otherwise known as ‘Garri’, costs between N900 and N1,100, depending on the location in Lagos metropolis.

A 60kg bag of the commodity costs between N11,000 and N12, 500 at the Mushin Oloosa Market, depending on the quality.