Agriculture
Women Farmers Want Implementation Of Action Plan On Agriculture
Some women farmers across the country have appealed to government at all levels to ensure quick implementation of the National Gender Action Plan on Agriculture to help them increase food production.
A cross section of farmers, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, urged government to ‘work the talk’ to encourage more women in agriculture.
National Gender Action plan was launched by the Federal Government on Oct. 18 to support and empower women farmers to move from subsistence to commercial farming.
The plan is also geared toward facilitating food and nutrition security, increased access to finance, enhance value chain approach and sector governance amongst women.
A bee farmer and the Director, Home Food United Kingdom Limited, Mrs Rita Izunwanne, said the government usually made policies without proper implementation.
“I have tried so many times to get farmland from the government but all to no avail, but I have tried to do something on my own.
“I have never seen anything that the government has done for women farmers. The government always makes policies without implementation. “They keep on promising and nothing comes out of them. “If the plan is implemented, it will boost our morale and we will be very serious with food production.
“We will be encouraged knowing that the government has come to our rescue and we will do things better because without the women, agriculture cannot thrive.
“I will advise the government to be realistic, let them start from somewhere. I know that it is not easy but let them start and when they start, we will work harder,’’ she said.
Mrs Laraba Ezekiel, a groundnut, millet and guinea corn farmer from Kaduna State, told NAN that the plan when implemented would help her to expand her farm.
“I will open my farm more if they implement the plan very quickly because we need help in farming. You make a whole lot of money from farming.
“They should not lie, government usually talks and they will not implement. They should try and make finances available to women farmers to improve our yields.
“Most of the times, we see this type of plan but it will only be talk without actions,’’ she said.
Another woman farmer, Mrs Olu Toluhi, a cowpea farmer, urged the government to include and encourage women farmers to embrace local and global standards.
“If every Nigerian woman farmer is encouraged to farm according to global standards, what it means is that her products are less perishable because she will choose her seedlings correctly, employ good agronomic practices.
“Let the finances and support from the plan be tagged to good agricultural practices and standards,’’ Toluhi said.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had, during the launch of the plan said it would turn around the fortunes of women in the agricultural sector.
Ogbeh said the plan, would also facilitate a coordinated approach to interventions in the sector to track results and deepen impact for the targeted group.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
