Give us incentives, inpliments to grow agriculture in Nigeria– Nasarawa Women Farmers beg govt. *** as YMCA organizes product exhibition in Lafia

By David Okpashi

Women Farmers in Nasarawa State have appealed to the federal and state government to remove the impediment against women participation in agriculture.

This they said providing farm implements needed, providing access to loans and other means for women to grow agriculture in the country, food security would be sustained.

Speaking at the Agricultural exhibition organised by the Young Men’s Christian Association ( YMCA) Mada Hills, in Lafia, Leader of one of the women groups, (Ogbonge Women Farmers) in the state, Mrs Patricia Onoja said supporting women in agriculture would not only ensure food sufficency in the country but raised revenue generation and bring peace to the families.

.mrs Onoja also charged the Nasarawa state government to establish gender desks in the state Ministries, Department and Agencies ( MDAs) to address the challenges faced by women.
Mrs Onoja urged the government to provide farm inputs to farmers especially women to encourage food production across the state.

“Women are confronted with challenges especially the high cost of farm equipment. Women do not have collateral to collect loans from the bank to buy farm inputs and equipment”

” We are appealing to government to involve women as critical stakeholders in the formulation of policies that affect women, especially in areas of agriculture, education, Onoja stated.

She further urged the government to provide more extension services to farmers to enable them get the right information to improve farming activities in the state.

“Any notion that women do not contribute to agricultural development, improvement in the critical sectors will face serious challenges because women are doing a lot to take care of their families through farming, education of the children even though most of them do not have ownership to land”

Also speaking, Chairperson, Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN ) Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Chapter,. Mrs Felicia Micah, called on the government to provide farmers especially the female farmers with fertiliser to improve crop yields

” We are always running to the businessmen to get fertiliser at high cost to produce food for the nation . Government should provide fertilisers for us at subsidized rate. They should create a link to farmers to get farm inputs” Mrs Micah said.

In a keynote address, Guest speaker at the event, Dr Alkali Maku called on women to
lobby, protests, rallies, use the media to campaign, carry out research project, petitions, open letters, organize strategic events, Community awareness, training and advocacy to drive the demands.

Maku said the agricultural show was aimed at strengthening women advocacy in key area of agricultural production to drive home some key policy issues affecting them.

He assured said more awareness be create in some agriculture practices that can improve the lives of women in local communities across the state.

In a goodwill message, Director , Climate Change at the State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Angbashim Ishaku, assured of the ministry readiness to dish out information on climate related issues to assist farmers produce more crops to ensure food security.

On her part, President of National Council of Women Society ( NCWS) in Nasarawa State, Mrs Mary Meshi said the society was committed to developing the women through various women empowerment programmes to enable them become self reliant.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of YMCA, Mr Ango Adamu said the agricultural show was organized in collaboration with OXFAM through the ” Together Against Poverty” project being implemented in the state.

Adamu explained that the aim was to recognize the role of women contribution to agriculture and to increase their visibility in the state, country and world at large.

He, therefore urged women to participate in agricultural processing, cropping contribute to economic growth of the nation.

Recalled that over 250 women farmers groups, Non Governmental Organisations and Government agencies participated in exhibition and prizes were won at the event.