….throws weight behind women farmers for food production

….as NAWE seeks collaboration with Agric Ministry

By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

AHEAD of 2023 planting season, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, has ordered supply of farm inputs and technical support to Nigeria Association of Women Entrepreneurs, NAWE, on boosting food production and agribusiness.

Abubakar gave the order while receiving a delegation of NAWE executive led by the President, NAWE, Veronica Ndanusa, in his office at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.

He acknowledged the great sacrifice and doggedness of women farmers over the years in food production and to the stomach.

He said the demands of NAWE on access to seedlings, rice milling machines, markets, Agric fares, training, and collaboration are expressly granted as he order there directors in relevant departments to swing into action and meet NAWE’s demand without delay.

He said: “Women is organising themselves in various fields. I think it is time giving Caesar what is Caesar’s.

“Unfortunately, from time in memorial men have been taking more than their fair share just about everything.

“I can assure you of my support of your organization, and all you have asked consider them granted and we will collaborate with you.

“You are dealing with the Department of Agribusiness and Market, the others are Agricultural Extension Services, which will take care of training your members, and the other one is Cooperatives,and with these three departments you will be able to achieve all that you have requested in your prayers.

“We do give out equipment and seeds; some of them subsidized by 70 per cent of the actual price and you be able to access all of those.”

However, the Minister said NAWE should ensure the inputs get to real women farmers.

He also said NAWE will have rice mills as requested.

He acknowledged what women farmers are doing in terms of food production even are more among smallholder farmers.

He said the women farmers will get all they deserve, and ensure that something start happening in terms of next distribution.

Earlier, the President, NAWE, Vera Ndanusa, called for inclusion of women in the front burner policies, programmes, and projects in the agricultural sector.

Ndanusa also pointed out that women remain the engine room of food production to the table, as she said the huge number of women in agribusiness is enormous and should be considered for massive support.

Meanwhile, she called for collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and NAWE in input supply and distribution including mechanisation in terms of land clearing, rice milling machines in each geopolitical zone, seedlings.

She said: “Women who are a crucial resources in agriculture and Rural economy face constraints that reduce their productivity.

“There is therefore need to collaborate with the Ministry for a robust agricultural development among members of the association.”

She said the collaboration through mutual understanding will boost the potential of members in their various agribusiness value chains that would further improve food production for local consumption and export, which NAWE right now is at the global stage, hence the need to have access to training and retraining, seedlings, mechanisation, and other inputs.

She also appreciated the response of the Minister to their request.