The devastating impact of persistent flooding on farming communities in Lagos is beginning to reverberate through the state’s food supply chain, with vegetable farmers warning of imminent price increases as heavy rains continue to destroy farmlands and reduce harvests.
They stated that consumers should prepare for higher prices of leafy vegetables in the coming weeks following extensive crop losses recorded in Ojo and other farming communities across Lagos.
The Chairperson of the Ojo Farmers Community, Mayriam Ali, in an interview in Lagos on Sunday, said flooding has become the greatest threat to vegetable production in Ojo, where the predominantly swampy terrain leaves farms vulnerable to seasonal rainfall.
According to her, prolonged downpours have submerged cultivated fields, destroyed mature crops and prevented many farmers from harvesting or replanting, thereby disrupting the supply of vegetables to markets across the state.
“We have recorded huge losses. Floodwaters destroyed many of our crops, and farmers are struggling to recover,” she said.
“If we sold vegetables at lower prices before, they will now become more expensive because farmers must recover their losses.”
She identified ugu, spinach, spring onions, oregano and waterleaf among vegetables expected to witness significant price increases, adding that a bunch of waterleaf currently sold for about N500 could rise to between N1,000 and N1,300 if production remains constrained.
Ali explained that vegetables with longer maturity periods suffered the greatest losses because many farms were inundated shortly before harvest, wiping out months of investment and labour. Crops with shorter growth cycles, including shoko, tete and ewedu, may experience relatively moderate price adjustments because they can be replanted and harvested within a shorter period.
Her warning comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over climate-related disruptions to agricultural production and their implications for food inflation in Nigeria, where rising production costs and extreme weather events continue to place pressure on food supplies.
Beyond the immediate impact on prices, Ali argued that the recurring destruction of farms highlights the urgent need for investment in climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure to protect livelihoods and strengthen food security.
She observed that many vegetable farmers lack basic drainage facilities and pumping equipment required to evacuate excess water from flooded farmlands, leaving them exposed to repeated losses during every rainy season.
To mitigate future damage, she called on government at all levels to support farmers with affordable solar-powered pumping machines, improved drainage systems and greater access to mechanised farming equipment.
Ali also urged authorities to improve transportation infrastructure serving farming communities, noting that poor road networks increase post-harvest losses and raise the cost of transporting fresh produce from farms to urban markets.
According to her, addressing the twin challenges of flooding and inadequate infrastructure will not only improve agricultural productivity but also help stabilise food supplies and strengthen food security in Lagos State.
She appealed to consumers to bear with farmers as production gradually recovers and encouraged households with available space to cultivate vegetables at home as a practical means of reducing dependence on market supplies.
While expressing optimism that production would improve as floodwaters recede, Ali maintained that vegetable prices are likely to remain volatile until farmers recover from the current losses.
She reaffirmed the commitment of farmers to sustaining production, stressing that timely government intervention and sustained investment in agricultural resilience would be crucial to safeguarding the state’s food system against future climate shocks.