The Gombe State chapter of the Small-scale Women Farmers’ Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) has returned a symbolic ‘hoe’ to the state government with requests for more investment and mechanisation in agriculture.
At a one-day programme organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Actionaid Nigeria, and Hope Foundation for the Lonely to commemorate World Food Day, the group called for deliberate support for rural women farmers.
The state Leader of SWOFON, Airudia Mamman called on the government to create budget lines to fund the implementation of the national gender policy in agriculture.
She also stressed the need for the Gombe State Government to ensure the implementation as budgeted in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry budgetary allocation for smallholder women farmers.
Mamman said: “Smallholder women farmers should be included in agriculture budget and policy-making processes in Gombe State. Funds allocated to SWOFON in the Gombe State Agriculture budget should be released to support SWOFON as stated in the budget.
Receiving copies of the organisation’s demands, the Deputy Governor, Dr Manassah Jatau, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Mohammed Gettado, said the state government would do all within its power to support women farmers.
He assured the organisation that, in the next two years, the government would ensure the gradual transfer from hoe to mechanised farming.
“Today is World Food Day. I have received your requests in two or three books; we will go through them with directors in the ministry before sending them to higher authorities. We will keep this hoe down,” Jatau said.