There is no hope yet for farmers who had expected that the steady drop in food prices will reverse early in 2026, as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that food inflation continued its downward trend to 8.89 per cent in January 2026. The January 2026 food inflation report released yesterday by the NBS, shows that food inflation for the month dropped to 8.89 per cent on a year-on-year basis. On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in January 2026 dropped heavily to –6.02 per cent, down by -5.66 per cent compared to December 2025 when it was -0.36 per cent. The report shows that headline inflation also maintained its downward slide, hitting 15.1 per cent on a year-on-year basis in January 2026. The result is that food prices have become cheap, but the agrochemicals and other inputs for farming remain alarmingly high, eroding the farmers’ income.

Source: The Guardian February 16, 2026 16:00 UTC