women entrepreneur
12DAIIYTRUsr
20
Monday, November 5, 2012
BUSINESS
'Land ownership unfavourable to female farmers' belief that
By O layemi R. lbrat11m
M
"'"",vm=, Amb.usador-
in I report by the Slate of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) thai in mmy developing countries. women arc the backbone of the' economy and in some places. they even comprist: the majority
as farmm. 6shcn Of ",vrktrs in agro-proa:ssing and marketing. Yet women farmers do not havr tqUIl accrss to rrsources and this S1gnificanlly limits their potential in enhancing productk-ity. They m oftenata~di.SlKh'alltagewhmit
comes to securing land ImUll! right1l or awning land outright. owning
Uvestoc:k. iIICCl'!SSing financial savias. recming the kind of extension 5a'Vlces and resoura:s that will grow mOOlput." United Stale S«mary of SliItt'
Hilary Oinlon described a woman fiumers typical circtunsIarIces this way: "She ih-es in <II rural viDage and
anwnberof probIemsfadng~ inagro-businessandoneofthe major
one Is aca:ss to land. She explained that the
N"'JPia
land owners.i:p
""""""'" """"""
Organization. Rome. Italy, slated
She said.: 'ihm: is a strong economic argumaU lOr- ro.sing on ~ in women in agricuh~
meant
'MlIllm,
.system has made WOITIeIl not 10 lw.~ accas to land for rarming.. She abo "Pmpie shooId be Inten::sled said lhal women do no( have xass in ~~ because it is the to fmilizer!DO. main ~ Apart fitJm !xing our She said anothe!- major challenge traditional business, it is that business is sponsorship. adding lhat ~ that will not only kiln )W I1'IOIlq' do not ha~ dear understanding of but will provide food on )'OUf table agriculture but are trying \0 ~ some kIr)W!" family. Theootyproblem we partnerY!ip to help ""'Omen in ~
al. Large for Globil Women's Issul"S, Food and Agriculture
of smaU holder fanners.
agricuh~ is
it is a business fOr ~ thai. is inlerestftl in partnering or in IOod production. dIM lOr pm;a1a1 CIlIlSUmpOOn or
lOr rum
are having in tltis country is that we hon"e.notgotlenanorimiud~
fmns ;Ii ~ foX land thaI .sbe does not own. She rises ~ dawn and
",-mks miIcs to collect wa~ if ~ is ".t.llertobefoundSheWCKb-aDdayin a fidd, sometimes with a babyon her bock. Ifr.hcS lucky. drougill. blight or
_donI"""", """""""", ""
raises enough to Iffd ne,. f.unUy and may be has same left (M!f to sell. But theres no road to ~ nean:st markd.. M~ her ~ Is flOC counted in many ooooomies as «OOOmically
acth-eemplo)mml In NIgrria. VIOI11CfI aTe a1so playing thdT part in agricultum &:o.oeIopmcnl ~fu. Li1zy Igbine who is !he National Prcsidt'nr.. Nigerian
Womm
Agrn-Allied
"""""' '"We -
are in1crl:sled in shifting the women out of ~y and lifting them OUI rL lack by making them into agro-allied business after she ~I saklshededded to go into productM """,,", through d~ that through it. the agricultul"eaftertr.lvdlngoulskk !he Independent production like we have in agriCUhUre,R she said national eronomycan be deYdoped. The SOFA studyShOW5 thai when The association whidl started in .-by~ 2006. now has ~ S.ooo 1I101lber5 educmd people and also l"ealiud women m pn:1>idrd \\-ith equal spread acro55 t1~ statts of Nigeria, thi!t it is mechanizM and thereIi:ft: """""" th<y em """""" y;d<h induding !he r-edernl Capital profuabk to the individual and !he equal to tho5ed men, ifnot ITlOIt But Tmilory. -v.'e grow farm products Mtion. becall5C~bil~gapinxu:ss Uke grains. cassava and most r:A our \Vhen Icarne back in 20061 hon-e 10 n:souI'CES like seeds. rertilac-, ....umcn are into fishery. poultry. been championing a ClJI.me for us to technology. and so much matt. animal husbandry and fish farming.. apoimcewhatishappeninginAsia. bringing women up \0 the o;;une As thepresidtt11 oCthegmup I nln my Europe and America whe!-e fanners level of resoura:s as men pmvidesan awn f.vm and we also open up !"am)!; an: rich. II is onty in <bdopcd important opportunity to imprlP\'e for women. We are into tRinlng countries Ihat )'OIl see Ihat their o=ill pmdudMly. Rt:sean:h also indicates thal someoflhese M>men andsensitiring tmnmarerich. l~thdany them to !try into the agricultural country thai has high ~ of(XJ\'erty "umcn are ITlOfe likely than JJlOl transbmatjoo agmda in order to is bcausc: their agricuhum sector is 10 usc their incomes to Impn1\'e not M'doped.- w $IkI. mlpowa' them; shesaid. the \\-'eII being of their families and
Afkr v.uking lOr I I )-eatS in an OtgIIlisation. the ......-nm fiumer
Mrs. Uzzylgbine
r'\lrmer5
Association said she was moth'lJtcd
roubtrr""'_""'''""'"''
Igbine said Ihal contrary to the
She explained that tIleR' are quite
communities.
J
T
he Chairman Sambajo General Enterprises, Alhaji Salisu Sambjo, MFR on behalf of his family, and his entire staff wish to welcome President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR to Jigawa State for the commissioning of the proposed University of Agriculture and Dutse International Airport. These and many more laudable developmental projects initiated by the people's Governor, Alh , (Dr) Sule Lamido was geared towards transForming the state from rural to modern. We wish Mr President a happy and memorable visit to Jigawa State and to Gwabnan Talakawa, we say more grease to your elbows.
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AlhaJI SailsU SambJo, MFR