Women farmers seek equal access to agricultural inputs in Gombe

Women farmers under the auspices of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) have appealed to the Governor of Gombe State Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe to increase women’s access to agricultural inputs being distributed in the state.

The State Chairperson of SWOFON, Mrs Airudia Mamman, made the call in Gombe on Thursday during a presentation of community scorecards on smallholder women farmers’ access to agricultural (farm) inputs in Gombe State.

Mamman said women were not being carried along in the distribution of farm inputs even though they constituted over 60 per cent of the farmers in the state.

She said there should be gender sensitivity when distributing any inputs going forward as that would ensure that women farmers benefitted from such exercises in the state.

Mamman stated that women farmers in Gombe State and Nigeria played major roles in efforts to ensure food security for the country.

“There should be gender sensitivity so that when the inputs are distributed, women get their own. It should be specific. Even if it is 30 per cent, it will get to the grassroots and improve women farmers’ livelihoods.

“Women have a higher percentage amongst farmers in terms of processing and packaging and even in production.”

According to Mamman, small-scale women farmers constitute more than 60 per cent of the farmers at the grassroots.

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