Women farmers in Gombe State, under the auspices of Small Holder Women Farmers Association in Nigeria (SHOWFAN), have decried the drop in the state’s budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector.
Addressing news conference in Gombe, the state Vice Chairman of SHOWFAN, Mrs Sarfatu Dalaky, said the state budgetary allocation to the sector has continued to reduce since 2016.
She said the allocation to the sector has fallen short of the Maputo Declaration target of 10 percent that was endorsed by African leaders in 2014.
“The Gombe State allocation to agricultural sector has continued to reduce since it dropped from 7.6 percent in 2016, 3.7 percent in 2017 and 5.7 percent in 2018. Although it has increased to 5.9 percent in 2019, however, it was still far too low compared to the Maputo Declaration target of 10 percent,” she said.
Mrs Dalaky also expressed concern about what she described as alarming low participation of women, particularly small holder women farmers in agriculture and decision making process in the state.
According to her women form about 80 percent of those producing food that is consumed in the country, therefore their non-involvement in decision making processes on such issues is a gross neglect and abuse of their rights.
The vice chairman said the participation of women in decision making processes will give them opportunity to also contribute their quota in taking responsibility for challenges and providing solutions to them.
The Executive Director of Hope for the Lonely, Mr Asiya Isuwa, commended the state government for recognizing the input of women farmers by creating a budget line and allocating N30 million for support to small holder farmers in the 2019 budget.
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