Kwara state: Women farmers seek more government support

The Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Kwara chapter, have called for government support to improve their productivity.

The state Coordinator of SWOFON, Mrs Bosede Anifowose, made the appeal in Ilorin on Tuesday during a Stakeholders Interactive Forum with government MDAs on the Kwara Agriculture Sector.

According to her, women farmers are not getting enough government support to encourage female practicing agriculture in the state.

She said SWOFON needed inputs, land and other resources to support their efforts.

“We have been neglected. All attention has been on men farmers. We need more support from the government to boost our morale.

“We need land for cluster farming, we need agricultural inputs as well as interest free loan to support our agricultural business.

“Give us grants and see how we will exceed your expectations. We have what it takes to produce enough food to feed Kwara residents and the nation,” she said.

The state coordinator also revealed that politicians hijacked most of the little grants apportioned to women farmers in the state.
According to her, most inputs and other benefits meant for SWOFON are mostly hijacked by politicians which deprived members access to their rights.

She however advised government not to merge farmer’s grants with politician’s grants as farmers were been cheated.

Alhaja Medinat Idris,the Director Women, state Ministry of Women Affairs, advised SWOFON to formally write through the Head of Service to request for monthly display of their farm produce to the public.

She encouraged women farmers to revive the mini-market display strategy at the Ministry of Women Affairs as it has been done in the past.

“Write through the right channel to revive the culture of market display. That is how the government will quickly reckon with you.

“Be practical in your approach. Display your farm produce monthly at the Ministry premises and win the government attention.

“They will feel your impact and support whatever project you crave for,” she advised.
Earlier, Mr Abdurrahman Ayuba, the Organiser and Executive Director, Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), said the interactive forum was organised for agricultural stakeholders to engage and interact on ways forward for farmers in the state.
According to him, the programme is designed to essentially support small scale women farmers in the state.

“We want to get what the government policies, programmes and interventions in place for women farmers in Kwara.

“As farmers, government owe us some responsibilities to ensure that we live a good life and also to ensure we succeed in the business we have chosen.

“We have one coordinator each present here today, a representative from the 16 local governments in Kwara. They are selected to take the message to their people,” he said.

Ayuba, who is also the Coordinator, Scale Up Public Investment in Agriculture (SUPIA), explained that the aim was to set a joint agenda to take their complains to the government.

He added that through Action Aid Initiative, they were able to support women farmers across the state.

Ayuba therefore called on government to do more and support women farmers, rather than ignoring their efforts.

Mr Yakub Abdulwahab, representative of the state Ministry of Agric/Rural Development, commended the organisers for promoting the course of women farmers.

Abdulwahab assured that the Ministry of Agriculture would continue to support SWOFON in the state.

Mrs Funmilayo Lawal, Coordinator, Ilorin East LG, also advised government to provide good roads to help them move their farm produce to the markets.

She also called for more funding and agricultural incentives to improve their output.