NGO urges FG, states to increase agriculture budget in 2017
NAN-AE-8
Budget
Makurdi, Nov. 7, 2016 (NAN) A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Nigerian Association of Women In Agriculture (NAWIA), has urged the Federal and State Governments to increase its spending on agriculture in the 2017 budget.
NAWIA`s national coordinator, Mrs Ngizan Chahul, gave the advice in Makurdi on Monday while interacting with newsmen.
She opined that such increment would assist the nation to easily come out of the present economic recession and diversify the economy.
Chahul appealed to the government to implement the budget for agriculture to enable farmers acquire all the necessary agricultural education and financial assistance to enhance production.
She stated that the present two per cent of the total budget allocated to agriculture by the Federal Government was not enough.
According to her, rural women need technical and modern agricultural skills to increase production.
The coordinator also said that the organisation is focused on improving the standard of the rural women by educating them on capacity building and human rights.
She explained that the celebration of “Rural Women’s Day“ organised by the NGO recently was to recognise women’s importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide.
Chahul observed that lack of fertiliser and improved seedlings and their high cost in the market were behind the low productivity witnessed in the state over the years.
She appealed to both Federal and State Governments to give out loans to the rural farmers to enable them improve production.
She explained that as an NGO that deals directly with the rural women, there was need to support the livelihood activities of rural farmers.
“Recently we organised the Rural Women’s Day to bring the women and the public, who only experience the women’s activities on the meal table without knowing what they go through to make the food available and affordable.
“Our aim is to simply bring them together on same table to interact on agricultural issues that would ensure a win-win situation for everybody.
“Our women have been experiencing the challenges that come with the change in the climate and hoped that the government and other relevant stakeholders would join hands together in addressing them.
“Already food prices have exponentially increased in the market while farm produce are getting rotten in some communities across Benue. “
The coordinator explained that the major role of the NGO was to amplify the yearnings of the rural women to the public.
She commended Trust Africa and Oxfam Nigeria for its financial and technical support in the execution of projects across the state. (NAN)
AEB/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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