The United Nations has identified lack of finance, infrastructure and land ownership as the problems of rural farmers in Nigeria.
Lansana Wonneh, Deputy Country Representative for United Nation’s Women In Nigeria, yesterday spoke at the celebration of the United Nations International Day Of Rural Women in Calabar.
“This celebration is important for two reasons, one is to acknowledge the fact that women particularly in Nigeria do the bulk of the work around food production, processing and marketing of food commodities.
” I want all of us here today, be it government, non governmental organisations, churches and all to make a commitment before the rural women to make policy changes that can improve on the welfare of rural women”
Wonneh said: “Every policy of government should fairly treat the rural women because fundamentally for any society to grow every segment of the society should be equitably treated and the rural women are an important segment of the society”
He assured them that the United Nations will continue to develop sustainable partnership with policies and programme for rural women to give them valid assistance to produce more food.
Deaconess Victoria Ihesulor, Chairperson of the event and National Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who spoke at the 2022 United Nations Day of Rural Women stated that women are champions in food production and form seventy percent of the population in agriculture who provide food for the family , community, states and country and should be encouraged.
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“Women are the engine of every community by producing good for the wellbeing of everyone in the society and should be given the needed assistance to change their situation and give them leverage to produce more food and also sell to raise an income”
She said snake bites, old age, poor health and flooding are wreck havoc on the women and their crops and should be accorded the right of place in the community
“The women over labour in their farms such that going to farm the next day is always difficult but they have to go to make sure that there is food on the table and some left for them to sell and earn an income”
Prof. Caroline Aboh from the University of Calabar, who spoke on the role of “The role of women in transforming agriculture, said: “The women should be encouraged to expand their farms. And should be given access to lucrative markets . They should be more educated. Women are the engine of the growth of every society.”
The Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture, represented by Mr Nathaniel Nkor from the ministry, urged the rural farmers to “consider the production of not just food but good food. Down-play the use of chemical but use more of organic fertilizers. Women are champions in the cultivation and production of Cassava.
He added: “To forestall diseases and high cost by using chemicals you have to make sure you use organic fertliser in your farms and not chemicals which are not very healthy for the soil and human body”
There was exhibition of various farm and agricultural produce and allied products at the event.