Enugu women farmers decry herdsmen menace in communities

WOMEN farmers under the auspices of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), at the weekend, decried the menace of herdsmen in some communities in Enugu State.

The state coordinator of SWOFON, Mrs. Lovelyn Ejim, said the activities of herdsmen were hindering the productivity of smallholder women farmers in the state, adding that they not only destroyed their farmlands, but also raped their members in the farms.

The group, therefore, appealed to governments at all levels to intervene by curbing the alleged criminalities of the herdsmen in their host communities,

Speaking at Obollo Afor in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, during the SWOFON and Duty Bearers interface, Mrs Ejim said there were many challenges affecting small holder women farmers in the state, pointing out that  security was at the top.

“Herdsmen are roaming our farms freely, destroying our yields and raping our women, who are often alone in the fields. Government must intensify efforts in solving the security challenges in many parts of Enugu State and ensure farmers and their produce are protected at all times.”

She said as part of the efforts to improve productivity of small scale women farmers, they had been able to access several government interventions, including the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, Fadama III- Additional Financing, Commercial Agricultural Development Programme, Growth Enhancement Scheme and APPEALS -Agro Processing among others, adding that they also ascertained their impact.

Although the women lauded government’s efforts in the inclusion and innovation in agricultural technology, which they said empowered them with the needed skills and technical know-how in modern farming, they called for improved access to credit, market and private sector partnership in farming.

Mr Steven Ugwu, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme, assured the women of government’s continued commitment in ensuring inclusive approach to the various intervention programmes in the state.