Bean Prices Plummet to ₦80,000 as Nigerian Farmers Celebrate Bumper Harvests in 2025
Lagos, Nigeria, June 29, 2025 — The price of beans, a staple protein source in Nigerian diets, has crashed by over 50% to as low as ₦80,000 per 100kg bag, down from a peak of ₦240,000 in 2024, driven by a bumper harvest across key farming regions. The Cowpea and Beans Farmers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (C&BFPMAN) credits higher yields, improved farm security, and reduced pest attacks for the dramatic price drop, bringing relief to millions of households. This development, reported by Naija News and Akelicious on June 29, 2025, highlights a rare win for Nigeria’s agricultural sector amid economic challenges.
The Price Crash Explained
What: A 100kg bag of beans now sells for ₦80,000 to ₦120,000, depending on the variety, a sharp decline from ₦210,000-₦240,000 in 2024. A paint bucket, a common retail measure, has dropped from ₦13,000-₦14,000 to ₦6,000-₦7,000, per Naija News.
When: The decline began in Q1 2025 and stabilized by June, with traders noting consistent low prices since April.
Where: Markets in Lagos, Kaduna, and northern states like Borno and Yobe report the most significant drops, per BusinessDay and Legit.ng.
Why: C&BFPMAN President Kabir Shuaibu attributes the crash to a tenfold increase in yields, with a hectare of farmland producing up to 30 bags compared to 10 last year, due to favorable weather, fewer pest issues, and better farm access, per Naija News and Akelicious.
How: Farmers intercropped beans with corn, boosting output, while government policies and improved security reduced losses from flooding and herder invasions, which plagued 2024 harvests, per Tridge.
Key Quote: “The main reason for the drop in price is the increase we got from our cultivation. We harvested over 10 times what we usually harvested,” Shuaibu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Impact on Consumers and Traders
Consumer Relief: Beans, vital for 61% of Nigeria’s protein consumption per the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), are now affordable again. Lagos consumer Tonia Sanwo told Naija News, “We used to buy a small cup for ₦2,000 last year. Now it’s ₦800-₦1,000. We’re really glad.” A civil servant, Favour Braye, linked the drop to better farm security, noting, “More people can now afford beans as it’s a common staple.”
Trader Benefits: At Oyingbo market in Lagos, trader Zainab Ahmed reported a surge in patronage, with a paint bucket now selling for ₦6,000, down from ₦13,000, per Naija News. In Yobe’s Potiskum market, red beans fell from ₦120,000 to ₦90,000 per 100kg bag, per Legit.ng.
Market Dynamics: Esther Umeileka of Fresh2Home Ltd. in Lagos credited improved crop quality and government support for reducing spoilage, per Akelicious. However, traders like Nura Isa in Lagos caution that prices may rise during the rainy season, per MSME Africa.
Challenges and Future Outlook
Past Struggles: In 2024, bean prices soared to ₦200,000-₦300,000 per 100kg due to herder invasions, high input costs, and naira devaluation-driven exports, per Tridge and Daily Trust. Flooding and pests slashed yields, with Nigeria’s cowpea production at 4.3 million metric tons in 2023, down since 2013, per the FAO.
Current Optimism: The 2024-2025 harvest’s success, with tripled yields in some areas, offers a blueprint for growth, per Kaduna farmer Kabir Shuaibu, who noted a single plot yielding 30 bags instead of 10, per BusinessDay. Intercropping and better seeds from IITA research helped, per Tridge.
Risks Ahead: Seasonal fluctuations could push prices up by mid-2025, as rainy seasons disrupt supply, per MSME Africa. X posts, like @asafaabdulwasi2’s, credit improved security under Nuhu Ribadu for enabling harvests, but sustained efforts are needed.
Accessing the Story
- Naija News: www.naijanews.com for detailed farmer and consumer insights.
- Akelicious: www.akelicious.net for C&BFPMAN’s perspective.
- BusinessDay: www.businessday.ng for market survey data.
- X: Search “Nigeria beans price drop 2025” for sentiment, but verify claims like @Jhaytermax’s ₦115,000 brown beans price, which may reflect regional variations.
What This Means
The drop in bean prices to ₦80,000 per 100kg bag marks a significant relief for Nigerian households, driven by a bumper 2024-2025 harvest that tripled yields in some regions. Improved security, better farming practices, and reduced pest issues have restored affordability to a key staple, but seasonal risks loom. Publishers should monitor prices through the rainy season and track IITA’s seed initiatives for long-term impacts. Readers should stock up now, as traders warn of potential increases, and verify X claims like @GazetteNGR’s “over 100% crash” for accuracy. This agricultural win, if sustained, could bolster Nigeria’s food security, benefiting farmers and consumers alike in a volatile economy.
