SMALLHOLDER women farmers’ contributions to food security in Nasarawa State are being threatened by inadequate information and access to critical farm inputs, despite the government ‘s promise to revamping the agricultural sector.

This development is coming amidst the COVID-19 pandemic period which already has caused untold hardship to many Nigerians, including farmers. Yet women farmers are worse hit.

In July 2003, African Union at its ordinary Assembly in Maputo declared that ten per cent budgetary allocation be allocated for agriculture development to ensure food security in the African continent. Fifteen years on, many women farmers are yet to benefit from the policy.

Though, government at all levels expend huge resources in procuring farm inputs and distribute the same to some farmers, but women farmers are hardly able to access the support.

President Buhari-led administration has initiated a number of women-oriented measures such as three-month repayment moratorium for all traderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans, as well as the conditional cash transfer, only a few women among the population have benefited.

In February 2020, Nasarawa State government also procured and distributed eight trucks of fertilizer to dry season farmers at the rate of N4000, while another 31 trucks were distributed in May this year across 13 local government and 16 development areas of the state at the rate of N5000 per bag.

However, about one thousand three hundred registered Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria, SWOFON Nasarawa State Chapter, since establishment in 2012 are yet to benefit from this largesse.

Except for the training put together by SWOFON, the farmers said they have not received other supports.

This reporter visited five local government areas of Nasarawa State namely, Awe, Akwanga, Kokona, Karu and Wamba to witness the efforts ad challenges of smallholder women farmers’ as they prepare farming season amidst the outbreak coronavirus pandemic.

The first port of call was Caroline Peter’s residence in Awe Local Government Area, a hard-working mother of three, struggling with pepper nurseries which she fenced to prevent them from premature death.

The net port of call was Sarah Albert’s residence, a pig farmer who has a unique way of inviting her pigs like herders. The human-animal relationship that exists between her and her animal is what many will refer to as “proof of ownership”.

“My challenge with this pig farming is the way people used to kill or injure them whenever they go outside my compound as I can’t afford to keep them in one place due to paucity of funds. Every year I do hire farm to cultivate either rice or other crops. But the price is too exorbitant, one hectare rice farm goes for N50, 000 while the same portion for farming other crops is given at N30,000,” Sarah said.

“We have never benefitted from any of these government farm inputs. If I can get herbicides, fertilizer, and fund, I am sure that will boost my capacity to farm better,” Caroline said.

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/women-farmers-worry-over-food-insecurity-in-nasarawa/