By Jibrin Hussaini Kundum, Bauchi
In an effort to ensure sufficient food production to alleviate poverty and hunger among Nigerian populace, attention must be given to Smallholder Women Farmers in order to boost agricultural production in the country.
The Bauchi State Coordinator of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria, Mrs. Marka Abbas gave the indication at the 2019/2022 score card dissemination meeting to small holder women famers held at Development Exchange Center Bauchi.
She said the rationale behind the dissemination meeting is to overcome the numerous challenges facing the smallholder women famers in the state.
Hajia Marka Abbas said women famers in Bauchi State are in critical condition that hinders them produce foods in large quantity as may be required by the people.
Stressing lack of proper agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, insecticide, fungicide and other chemicals for pest control as major impediment for maximum production, Mrs. Abbas noted that the high prices of these chemicals in the market has also posed a great challenge to most women farmers in the rural communities.
“Agriculture has been described as the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy, in spite of the growing urbanization and increased revenue from the oil sector, historical experiences have shown that there would be no successful development in a country where people lives in hardships, hunger and povety”.
She therefore stressed the need for concerned authorities to consider the situation of Agricultural system in order to upgrade the sector and boost food production in the country.
In his remark, the Extension Director of Bauchi State Agriculture Development Program (BSADP) Mallam Ya’u Muhammad called on the small holder women famers in the state to continue to embrace modern mechanized farming and always engage the state extension workers in their farming system for effective service delivery.
Ya’u Muhammad used the medium to called on relevant stakeholders in the Agricultural sector to support the present administration towards actualising the set objectives of boosting agricultural production in state.
He called all stakeholders in the sector and other philanthropists to come to the aid of Smallholder Women Farmers in their quest to ensure sufficient food production and create employment for the teeming youth.
