By Martha Omafu
Women farmers under the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development- Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP) in Nasarawa State have called for improved access to farmland, finance, subsidised farm inputs and rural access road.
These, they say, would enable them to increase agricultural production and contribute more to food security.
The women made the call at an event to commemorate the International Year of Women Farmers on Thursday in Lafia, organised under the VCDP.
Mrs Victoria Ogoshi, who spoke on behalf of the women, said lack of access to agricultural land remained a major challenge confronting women in the state.
Ogoshi said cultural barriers in some communities continued to make it difficult for women to own or acquire farmland despite their significant contributions to agriculture.
She also appealed for financial support, saying women had acquired skills and agricultural equipment through VCDP but required funds to expand their activities.
“We want access to farmland, subsidised farm inputs, better markets for our products and good rural roads,” Ogoshi said.
She urged the government to include women farmers in its database for the distribution of farm inputs, noting that many women were often left out of such interventions.
Ogoshi also called for laws that would empower women to own farmland and ensure their representation on government agricultural committees and in decision making.
She said VCDP had transformed women from mainly producers into processors, marketers and value addition entrepreneurs.
According to her, the programme had empowered women through cooperative formation, financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, nutrition programmes, home gardening and digital skills.
She said women had also learnt to convert rice husks and cassava peels into briquettes, describing the initiative as “turning waste into wealth”.
Ogoshi said some beneficiaries had expanded into confectionery, rice and cassava seed production, while others had established micro enterprises and were supplying products beyond their immediate communities.
She added that the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) had helped women improve household relationships, plan their businesses and resolve challenges in their communities.
Speaking earlier, Dr Eunice Adgidzi, State Programme Coordinator, VCDP, said the programme had recorded increased participation of women in agriculture since its inception.
Adgidzi said the programme was deliberately supporting rural women and encouraging their contributions to the agri-food system.
She said VCDP had empowered women to turn agricultural waste into briquettes, diversify their diets and establish home gardens to improve household nutrition and generate additional income.
Salamatu sani, Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa Ministry of Agriculture, said women were already contributing significantly to agriculture through production, processing and marketing.
Sani said providing women with access to land, finance and opportunities for direct processing would further strengthen food security and improve household livelihoods.
She urged stakeholders to focus not only on the number of women participating in agricultural programmes but also on the impact of such interventions on their production capacity.
Also, Aisha Jibrin, Social Welfare Officer, Nasarawa Ministry of Women Affairs, urged women farmers to maximise the opportunities provided through VCDP and work hard to encourage more women to embrace agriculture.
Jibrin commended the programme facilitators and organisers for their continued support to women farmers in the state. (NAN)
