The Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) has called on the Gombe State government to release the sum of N28 million as intervention fund to help smallholder women farmers in the state.
Chairperson of SWOFON Mrs Irudia Mamman made the call when she led members of the organisation on a courtesy visit to the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry on an advocacy visit to seek for urgent intervention the smallholder women farmers in the state.
During the visit, Mrs Mamman decried low funds allocation to the agricultural sector, most especially to smallholder women farmers in Gombe, and urged the state government to put in more efforts to boost their capacity.
She commended Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for his intervention by providing farm inputs on time and also asked for the release of N28 million to facilitate the work of smallholder women farmers.
Responding, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Muhammad Magaji Gettado, assured the organisation of his support to work with the commissioner of finance, to ensure the timely release of funds.
He described the small scale women farmers as the food basket of the nation.
He added that the state government had provided fertiliser for farmers on time because of the importance accorded to farming, adding that the administration will soon unveil programmes aimed at revamping the sector.
