Kwara women farmers lament impact of insecurity, herders’ attacks, others

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2 years ago

Rural women farmers in Kwara state, under the aegis of Small-scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON) have called on governments and relevant stakeholders to find lasting solutions to challenges bedevilling farming among women in the country.

The women farmers who spoke during election of officers of SWOFON and interactive meeting with agriculture focused MDAs in Kwara state, said their challenges include bad rural roads, insecurity caused by herdsmen attack, exorbitant charge by farm labourers, and high cost of herbicide and fertiliser.

At the event organized by the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE) through her “Scaling Up Public Investment in Agriculture (SUPIA) project, the women also requested for women-friendly farm machines, increase in agric budget in the state as well as
access to grant and credit facilities.

According to Madam Hajara Saidu from Kaiama local government area of the state, she said there is food sufficiency in the rural areas, adding, however, that there is no good road to get produce to towns and cities.

“We need our roads to be fixed for food produce to come to the metropolis. Coming for this meeting alone was even a problem,” she said.

Mrs. Limota Babatunde, from Offa in the Offa local government area and Suwebatu Wahabi from the Asa local government area of the state, while lamenting challenge of bad roads, said that, “we are farming well but getting it to the market is a problem. So, what we are to sell for N10,000 is later sold at N3,000.

Madam Sidikat Suleiman from the Irepodun local government area and Lydia Adeoti from the Isin local government area called for supply of women-friendly machine for women to produce at reduced cost and improve production.

Madam Joy Shaba from the Edu local government area of the state enjoined stakeholders to provide women with engine for rice processing, saying that, “we are into rice farming but we need engine to make our work easier”.

Also speaking, the state commissioner for Agriculture, represented by Aliyu Abubakar, described the situation that was painted by the women farmers as a national issue, which he said was not peculiar to Kwara state.

He said that rural and feeder roads are being handled by the state government with RAMP project, adding that the roads that would link agriculture production areas to market areas are being looked into.

The agriculture commissioner, who said that the issue of herdsmen attack has been at the National Assembly for more than eight years with no headway, advised the women to farm in clusters to check the menace.

She also advised them to engage activities of local vigilantes/hunters, saying that sales of feeds, subsidised fertilizers, herbicides will commence next year.

The commissioner said that government has established Help Desk to link farmers to bank that will facilitate ease of giving loan to farmers, adding that the government will serve as guarantor

“On budget for women farmers, I charge you to walk the talk. Approach the ministry, meet with the commissioner and table your problems as a group. Don’t wait for anyone to take action on your behalf.”

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