The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Gombe State chapter, has called on the state government to support women in agriculture as well as youths to boost food security in the state and country.
The State Chairperson, SWOFON, Mrs. Airudia Mamman, made the call in Gombe on Thursday while commemorating the 2024 World Food Day in the state.
Mamman said that the quickest way to achieving food security efforts of the government was to empower small-scale women farmers in the state to cultivate more farmlands.
She said that with increased investments in line with the Malabo target of investing 10 per cent of their national budgets in agriculture, the state would be better placed to boost food availability.
According to her, since small-scale farmers form the largest population contributing to crops cultivation, supporting them will ensure that more farmers are reached for increased productivity.
Mamman called for more supports to women and youth farmers in the state while also urging government to release budgetary allocations to smallholder women farmers in the state.
She commended the state government for its supports to farmers, adding that with continued support, more women would be empowered and more jobs would be created.
“We urge the government to ensure timely release of funds allocated to smallholder farmers in the state annual budget to SWOFON to enable us implement our work plan towards boosting food security and reducing poverty.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Hope Foundation For the Lonely (HFL), Mrs Sarah Yapwa said with the huge population of women in agriculture, leveraging that number would be the best way out of the threat of food crisis.
Yapwa said such farming population in the state, who are also involved in agriculture value-chain the state would not only be boosting food security but empowering women out of poverty and also tackling malnutrition.
She said if the state and Nigeria must have food in the near future, then ignoring women would be threatening to the food security efforts of government.
On its part, the Gombe State government advised smallholder women farmers to take advantage of agricultural programmes in the state to boost food security.
Mr Barnabas Malle, the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives gave the advice.
Malle said that the state government had initiated several programmes and extension services aimed at supporting farmers to increase food availability in the state and country.
Malle who was represented by Mr Jonathan Bulus, Assistant Chief Principal Superintendent at the ministry said part of efforts to improve the agriculture sector led to the subsidising of fertilisers and other farm implements.
“I would like to call on the smallholders women farmers to take of advantage of the ministry’s programmes through extension and training, tractor hiring and free livestock vaccination.
While commending the role of women in food production, Malle said that the contributions of small-scale women farmers in the state had helped in averting food shortage.
For her part, Hajiya Asma’u Yahaya, wide of Gombe State Governor lauded the efforts of women farmers towards boosting the agriculture sector and ensuring food security in the state and country.
Yahaya who was represented by Hajiya Fatima Omar, the Director of Administration and Finance, Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs said smallholder women farmers produce over 60 per cent of the food consumed.
She said women were major stakeholders in agricultural value chain and had been a part of all the processes of crop and animal production.
Yahaya advised women farmers in the state to embrace home gardening, adding that such would enhance food sufficiency, healthy and daily source of nutrition as well as source of income to the household.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2024 World Food Day which was marked on Wednesday is, “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”
The event to commemorate the day in the state was organised by the Gombe State chapter of SWOFON, Hope Foundation for the Lonely.
This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
The State Chairperson, SWOFON, Mrs. Airudia Mamman, made the call in Gombe on Thursday while commemorating the 2024 World Food Day in the state.
Mamman said that the quickest way to achieving food security efforts of the government was to empower small-scale women farmers in the state to cultivate more farmlands.
She said that with increased investments in line with the Malabo target of investing 10 per cent of their national budgets in agriculture, the state would be better placed to boost food availability.
According to her, since small-scale farmers form the largest population contributing to crops cultivation, supporting them will ensure that more farmers are reached for increased productivity.
Mamman called for more supports to women and youth farmers in the state while also urging government to release budgetary allocations to smallholder women farmers in the state.
She commended the state government for its supports to farmers, adding that with continued support, more women would be empowered and more jobs would be created.
“We urge the government to ensure timely release of funds allocated to smallholder farmers in the state annual budget to SWOFON to enable us implement our work plan towards boosting food security and reducing poverty.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Hope Foundation For the Lonely (HFL), Mrs Sarah Yapwa said with the huge population of women in agriculture, leveraging that number would be the best way out of the threat of food crisis.
Yapwa said such farming population in the state, who are also involved in agriculture value-chain the state would not only be boosting food security but empowering women out of poverty and also tackling malnutrition.
She said if the state and Nigeria must have food in the near future, then ignoring women would be threatening to the food security efforts of government.
On its part, the Gombe State government advised smallholder women farmers to take advantage of agricultural programmes in the state to boost food security.
Mr Barnabas Malle, the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives gave the advice.
Malle said that the state government had initiated several programmes and extension services aimed at supporting farmers to increase food availability in the state and country.
Malle who was represented by Mr Jonathan Bulus, Assistant Chief Principal Superintendent at the ministry said part of efforts to improve the agriculture sector led to the subsidising of fertilisers and other farm implements.
“I would like to call on the smallholders women farmers to take of advantage of the ministry’s programmes through extension and training, tractor hiring and free livestock vaccination.
While commending the role of women in food production, Malle said that the contributions of small-scale women farmers in the state had helped in averting food shortage.
For her part, Hajiya Asma’u Yahaya, wide of Gombe State Governor lauded the efforts of women farmers towards boosting the agriculture sector and ensuring food security in the state and country.
Yahaya who was represented by Hajiya Fatima Omar, the Director of Administration and Finance, Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs said smallholder women farmers produce over 60 per cent of the food consumed.
She said women were major stakeholders in agricultural value chain and had been a part of all the processes of crop and animal production.
Yahaya advised women farmers in the state to embrace home gardening, adding that such would enhance food sufficiency, healthy and daily source of nutrition as well as source of income to the household.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2024 World Food Day which was marked on Wednesday is, “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”
The event to commemorate the day in the state was organised by the Gombe State chapter of SWOFON, Hope Foundation for the Lonely.
This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
