Kogi farmers urge FG to adopt Maputo Declaration

The Small Scale Women Farmer Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Kogi state chapter, has recommended the implementation of Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and food security  by the federal government for the success of agriculture in the country.

Esther Audu who is the immediate past national auditor of the organization, said during the 2016 annual women farmers forum held in Lokoja recently, that the government should adhere to the July 2003 Maputo Declaration, which states  that 10 percent of the national budgets be allocated to agriculture.The declaration ratified by African heads of state and governments for adequate financing of agricultural activities.

Audu said the issue of security of women farmers had to be put on the front burners by the three tiers of government if agriculture must succeed in the country.

She also advocated for participatory budgetary approach and easy access to credit facilities at single interest rate for farmers as well as review of the on-going Anchor Borrowers Scheme to enforce the single digit interest rate for smallholder women farmers and sustainable metrological information system to support Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA) practice.

Speaking also, Safiya Yahaya, coordinator, SWOFON, called on the government to provide adequate security to check raping and killing of women farmers by herdsmen and militants in the country.

Yahaya also emphasized that there is need for government to ensure security as well as provide trauma healing programmes for women farmers in crisis affected areas.

She said the call has become necessary now because ‘Any moment from now the Anchor Borrowers programme will start but what has the government done to address the menace of herdsmen who rape and kill our women on the farms’.

In his contribution lsah Ochepa, permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture who declared the forum open said though the nation had given premium attention to other sources, serious commitment to agriculture would no doubt take the nation out of recession.

Earlier in her address, Gift Omoniwa, executive director, Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) Action Aid local rights partners and organiser of the forum

said prioritization of agriculture was the only option left for Nigeria to walk out of the present recession.

She also urged government to look into areas of support for women and youths in agriculture, access to affordable finance farm inputs, quality extension services, research and development for pro-poor growth.

Victoria Nnakiaike