‘Insecurity on farms threatens food production’

Women farmers have raised alarm over the spate of insecurity on farm lands due to incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen across the country.

They said this had a tendency to affect food sufficiency in the country.

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The National President of Nigeria Women Cooperative Federation Alliance (NIWCOFA), Mrs Kyauta Yakubu who stated this in Monday during the official launch of Bayelsa Women Cooperative Federation Alliance (BYWCOFA) for women farmers in Yenagoa, alleged that women farmers are being killed, raped in the farms on daily basis across the country.

Represented by the National Secretary of the group, Lolo Onyekachi Ehiriudu, Yakubu pleaded with appropriate authorities and security agencies to take steps to ensure that women farmers are secured in their farms in order to boost food production in the country.

She urged women to speak with one voice to defend the rights of women farmers that are oppressed, raped, dehumanized by herdsmen in the farming environment.

She also pleaded with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bank of Industry and other donor agencies to come to the aid of women in the provision of funds to enhance adequate food security in Nigeria.

She said: “We must speak out for the government to hear us, women are raped, kidnapped in our farms and the government is not providing adequate security to encourage us, government is not granting us empowerment, funds, agricultural subsidy, farm implement etc to help produce more food for the economy.

“The time has come for all Nigerian women to rise in their numbers and farm in their small land behind their houses, communities to ensure they have enough food for their families and society at large. The green initiative of the Federal Government is a good tool for women to ensure that hunger is eradicated in our homes and society.

“This group will help all classes of women to give their best in all areas of their life endeavours, crop production remains the largest segment and accounts for 87.6% of the sector’s total output. This is followed by livestock, fishing and forestry at 8.1%, 3.2% and 1.1% respectively,” she said.

The President of Bayelsa Women Cooperative Federation Alliance, Mrs Joy Solomon said with the launch of the programme in the state, women are motivated to redouble their efforts in farming which will boost food production in the state.

She pleaded with different donor agencies to simplify the criteria for accessing loans to help the women cultivate.