NAN-H-61
Farmland
By Martha Agas
Jos, March 10, 2017(NAN) Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria(SWOFON), an NGO, has criticised the stringent conditions given to women seeking farmlands, especially in the rural areas.
Mrs. Mary Bature, the Acting Coordinator of the group in Plateau, stated this on Friday in Jos, at a community score card meeting to access government agricultural programmes in the state.
She expressed worry that traditional practices had forced women into paying outrageous rent sums to access farmlands.
“ Some land owners tell women to surrender a specific quantity of their produce before they are given the land, even after paying rent.
“ If one is unable to give such quantity, she will have to carry it over to the next farming season.
“The situation is worsened by traditional practices in Africa, which exclude women from inheriting farmlands,” she said.
The SWOFON official urged governments, at all levels, to create the enabling environment and facilitate timely incentives toward ensuring food security.
“Such incentives will create employment for many youths,” she said.
In her remarks, Mrs. Jessica Vonkat, a member of the Board of Directors, lamented that limited funding had constituted a major challenge for women in their desire for farmlands.
She called for financial support to enable women access lands “since we cannot inherit it from our families”.
He commended the Plateau government for giving “at least two bags of fertilizer to each farmer, irrespective of gender”, but suggested a timely distribution to guarantee good yields.
Miss Favour Jacob, SWOFON Programme Assistant, said that the organisation, which was funded by Trust Africa, had offices in Cross River, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau States.
“The sole goal is to facilitate better conditions for farmers to engage in agricultural activities,” she said. (NAN)
MAA/ETS
=======
Edited by Ephraims Sheyin