Smallholder Women Farmers in Nigeria (SWOFON) are demanding that the federal government should take deliberate steps in addressing the security challenges in the nation especially those that affect agriculture.
The National President, Mary Afan, made the call at the just concluded town hall meeting held in Abuja lamenting that the
activities of bandits, kidnappers, and herders have posed a great threat to the livelihood of smallholder women farmers.
She said many farmers are afraid to go to the farms for fear of being killed adding that Farmers can boldly go back to their farms when they are assured of safety.
She said the activities of bandits, kidnappers, and herders have posed a great threat to the livelihood of smallholder women farmers.
She also demanded that farm inputs should be made available for women farmers. These inputs include fertilizers, improved seeds, and seedlings, and agrochemicals.
“It is important to stress that these farm inputs are to be made available promptly so we can meet up with the next farming season.
“Most implements currently used by women are crude and designed for the male gender thus it is burdensome for most women farmers.
“We are demanding that the federal and state governments create a special intervention fund accessible by women farmers, to cushion the impact of the losses brought by the pandemic.
“This grant will go a long way in providing capital to kick start closed farms and encourage farmers to go back to farms thus keeping their livelihood.
“The investment will also cut down significantly the trillions of Naira Nigeria spend annually importing food. In the long run, there would be an improvement in the livelihoods of these women as they are more able to provide for themselves, their families and their communities,”she said .
