Women farmers cry foul over fertilizers, seeds distribut ion and other farm Inputs from the government, those things never get to us_ Sometimes, we see omen farmers [rom the trailers with the fertilizers states of the federa· in our localIties_ When they tion have cried foul omoad them, the fertilizer will over the current arrangement dIsappear: Even when some of between the Federal Govern- these things come to the farmment and some private firms ers at the grassroots, they come on farm Inpuls distribution around August, when the haracross the country. vests are a lready taking place." The farmers, who made their Yohanna added that only the grievances known in Abuja, rich are benefitting ('rom the yesterday, at a two-day Capac- scheme. Ity Building Training on Net· However, a representative work and Coalition BuUding of the Federal MInistry of Agand Policy Advocacy for Wom- riculture at the programme, en Farmer Groups organised Sunday Uhiene, said the minby Actionaid. maintained that Istry was never aware of such they were being short-changed behaviour among the various by the policy. firms vested with the distribuSpeaking with National Mir- tion. ror at the event, Mrs. Jumal He promised that prompt Yohanna. a commercial farmer Investigation would be carried from Nasarawa State, said the oul on the complaInt. intention of government was In her address, Country Repgood, but the private firms of· resentative, Food and Agriculten short-changed them. tural Organisation (FAO), Dr: She said. "These people come Louise Setshwaeio, advocated to us, they collect our names the need to close gender gap for and phone numbers; they only agricultural development in nse them to get more fertilizers Africa. MARCUS FATUNMOLE AIlWA
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She urged Federa Government to prioritise the women, National Association of whom she referred 10 as bed. 19&ia:n Disabled Trluter rock of food production on the and !ann", (NANDTF'), continent, in its agr icultural revolution geared towards haS appealed to the genernl public meeting the 2020: 20 transfor- including orgarijsed private Sector, financial inslUutions. govern· mation agenda. Setshwaelo frownl!d at the mental agencies to come to their manner In which major gov- aid by supporting its empower· ernment poUcies on agricul- ment programme for the physiture on the continent usually cally chaDenged Nigerians. Its National Coonlinator,~ Mr. favour the men alone. Programme Coordinator Ojo Akande, made the appeal at ' , for Actlonaid, Mrs. Constance ,the association's first Bwlness/ Okeke t said the workshop was Economic Roundtable seminar designed to bring farmers held in Lagos, ~ disclosacross the geographical zones ' ing that the group has decided to of the country togeth er to help come together as a strong body to create platform for leveraging cater for their needs instead of beon the policies of government HP Nigeria reinforces and promote common pursuits among women farmers in Nige- KUNLE AZEE2 ria. It would be recalled that the Federal Government had announced its withdrawal from direct distribution of fertilIzer and seeds which it claimed would reduce corruption that had bedeviled the success of
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Investment in agric R&D is key to youth empowennent, economic growth in Africa -IFAD boss ncreasing investments In agriculturaJ research for development (RID) could bring the much·awaited agricultural transformation to Af· rica and help address the rising wave of youth unemployment and its attendant poverty, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr Kanayo Nwanze, has said_ Delivering a talk at the In· ternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IJTA), Ibadan, Or. Nwanze said Africa and
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away from committing more resources to agricultural research and development If they really want to witness an African Green Revolutlon. "Agric researeh Is the cornerstone of development; It is the vehicle that conveys development and we must Invest in It," he said. Nwanze, who completed his visit to UTA yesterday, also supponed calls for investments to rejuvenate research institutions such as IITA-a posItion earlier made by Nigeria'S President
NANDTF wants public to SutlDort its empowerment programmH
ObasanJo. According to him, such investments will have a positive trick.1e down effect on the youlhs by way of generating improved technologies that could attract youths to agriculture and also buIld their capacIties In solving both present a nd future challenges to food
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Development (OOD) funded proUK Departmentfor Growth l""" Employ· ment States (GEMSS) land Managing ConsultiotlExeclitive securl ~ Di.n!ctor of Skcup and Company CIting research studIes, LimiM, Em..u. Nwanze said that for every dolAmobl bas • IloctDrnte Degree lar invested In agricultural re- in Economics from HowanJ Un!. Washington. OCt United versitx search, returns on lnvestments were about US$9 in sub-Saha- ..... or Amerlca(USA),_ Degree (M.Sc.) in Economics from ran Africa.
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