By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
SMALL-SCALE Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), Kogi State Chapter has called on the State Government to immediately, set up Market Task Force to check sharp practices by middlemen and market associations causing high food inflation and hunger in the State.
The Women Farmers made the call in a Communique issued at the end of its meeting on “Dissemination of Scorecard On Smallholder Women Farmers’ Access To Agricultural Credit Facility In Kogi State between 2020 and 2023.”
The programme was organised by SWOFON in partnership with Kogi State Budget Committee Group (BCG) with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
The Women farmers identified illegal activities of the middlemen and market associations as well as harassment of farmers as part of the major causes of high food price inflation and hunger in the land.
According to the women Farmers, Government’s non-interest in off-taking farm produce and setting up a consumer market encourages sharp practices by middlemen/market associations leading to high rate of food inflation in Kogi State.
The Communique held that to ensure healthy, wealthy, productive and secured Kogi State, food security must be prioritized.
“And smallholder women farmers who produce over 65 per cent of food output in Kogi State must be adequately carried along in government programming in the Agriculture Sector for effective result”, it added.
The Women Farmers however, commended the State Government over improvement in release of budgetary allocations to the Agriculture sector, refurbishing of tractors and other farm machineries as well as the implementations of L-PRESS and ACRESAL projects.
SWOFON therefore, called on the Government to put in place adequate measures to ensure effective management of the tractors.
They also urged the state government to sustain its interest in the Agricultural Sector to create wealth for citizens and improve food security as most of the 10 states bordering Kogi depend on the state for their food supplies.
The Communique recommended proper profiling of Smallholder Women Farmers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Agriculture Projects in Kogi State through Ministry of Agriculture.
“Government should carry out proper awareness and sensitization on their programmes for effective reach of farmers and also dissuade criminals who leash on government programmes to extort farmers.
“For effective outcomes and impacts of government programs, especially in the agricultural credit scheme, Smallholder Women Farmers of Nigeria should profiled and carried along”, the Communique recommended.
The meeting, according to the Communique, was attended by representatives of Commissioners for Agriculture and Women Affairs and Bank of Agriculture (BOA); ADP and other stakeholding CSOs including KONGONET and BCG members (Ends)
