Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON) has observed that the neglect of other agricultural inputs besides fertilizer in 2024 appropriation is likely to lead to higher food prices and food shortages.
The group also said it could also impact negatively on livestock and aquaculture development in the FCT.
According to them, they observed increase in allocation to agriculture inputs for 2024 which amounted to ₦710,000,000.00 compared to 2023 allocation of 101,994,800.00.
SWOFON in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and Federal Capital Territory Administration ,Agriculture & Rural Development Secretariat (FCT-ARDS), under the Scaling Up Public Investments in Agriculture (SUPIA) project, made the observation in joint communique issued at a 1-day State Level Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2024 FCT Agriculture held in Abuja .
According to the communique, the allocation went majorly to fertilizer only to the detriment of other inputs such as veterinary medicine and wares, improved seeds, and seedlings respectively.
On Agricultural Extension Services, they observed that there was an increase in the budget allocation to extension services from N17,343,320 in 2023 to N30,500,000.00 in 2024.
According to them, this represents a 1.65% increase from the previous year which is commendable adding that despite these improvements, the allocation will only address a fraction of the significant challenges currently faced by the FCT extension services and farmers.
Access to Credit.
“We observed that the there was no allocation to Agricultural Credit in the FCTA-ARDS 2024 budget. This is despite the importance of agricultural financing for smallholder farmers especially women that form the higher number of the agricultural labour force in the FCT.
Going forward, they recommended that the FCT Administration to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture secretariat by honouring the 2014 Malabo commitment of investing at least 10% of its total budget to promote sustainable agriculture toward stimulating at the least 3% growth stated by the Nigeria Government.
They said FCTA should collaborate with CSOs to support it in organizing a stakeholder meeting for the purpose of developing an agricultural policy for FCTA to enhance agricultural
development and economic integration in the FCT.
“The Policy will inform and guide budgetary allocation to critical areas that need support towards food security and fostering of smallholder farmer livelihood (mostly women) within the FCT.
“We recommend that the FCTA should involve Smallholder women farmers and Civil Society Organizations in the sector’s budget preparation, approval, monitoring, and evaluation processes.
“We call on NASS and the FCTA to sustain commitment towards timely completion of budget processes to support timely releases of funds for agricultural activities since it is mostly time-bound.
” We recommend that FCTA increase allocation to extension service in the area of recruitment of new extension workers especially female extension agents to replace the aging and retiring ones towards the growth and support of extension service to smallholder farmers.
“FCTA to increase allocation to budget line item that can help reduce the high incidence of post- harvest losses in the FCT.
” There is an urgent need for incremental allocation for the issue of women in agriculture to reflect the high cost of agricultural inputs and service as ways to enhance their continued participation in food production and security,”they said.