The Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) Ondo state Diocese, has called on the state government to promote the enrolment of agricultural insurance policies for smallholder farmers in rural communities in the state.
The JDPC in collaboration with Actionaid Nigeria (AAN), at a one-day stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the 2023 Ondo State Agriculture Budget in Akure, said the policy would strengthen the state security outfits (Amotekun).
The duo said that it would help in reducing the effects of rising insecurity in farms; farm raiding, cattle destructions, kidnapping, climate and other natural disasters farmers are confronting in order to continue farm practices in certain communities.
Austin Ogunleye, the JDPC programme officer, Catholic Diocese, Akure, while speaking with journalists after the meeting also called on the State Ministry of Agriculture and OSAEC to increase awareness creation/sensitization of stakeholders on the new agricultural policy as part of effort towards promoting improved citizen participation in budget process.
Ogunleye said, “as part of gender equality captured in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the Smallholder Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria, Ondo State Chapter request that gender friendly machines like Power Tiller should be made available for efficient farming within the state.
“State government should ensure scaling up specific budget lines for agro-women farmers, and ensure full access to the budget lines created as strategic approach to increase food production, reduce hunger and poverty and achieve the Maputo/Malabo commitment.
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“Public investment in agriculture should be scaled up in the specific areas of extension services, access to credit, women in agriculture, youths and people living with disabilities in agriculture.
“The existing relationship between the federal and state governments and the CSOs should be strengthened in a bid to promote accountability and transparency in public resource management.
“The yearly state agriculture budget should be more gender responsive by providing line items for the implementation of the state gender policy in agriculture that address specific challenges that affect women farmers different from men as well as avoid lumping up budget for women farmers and other groups such as youths.
JDPC and Actionaid, therefore called on MDAs in the Agric sector to ensure the inclusion of both SWOFON Members and CSOs on Policy Implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes.
The duo, explained that since most agricultural activities were seasonal and determined by climatic condition, the state government should fund the erection of more greenhouses for different crops.
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