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By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Kwara State chapter, has called for government’s support to improve the productivity of its members.
The state Coordinator of SWOFON, Bosede Anifowose, made the appeal in Ilorin recently during a stakeholder’ interactive forum with government MDAs on the Kwara Agriculture Sector.
Mrs. Anifowose said women farmers are not getting enough government support to encourage female practising agriculture in the state.
She said SWOFON needed inputs, land and other resources to support its efforts, adding, “we have been neglected. All attention has been on men farmers. We need more support from the government to boost our morale.
“We need land for cluster farming, we need agricultural inputs as well as interest free loans to support our agricultural business.
“Give us grants and see how we will exceed your expectations. We have what it takes to produce enough food to feed Kwara residents and the nation,” she said.
The state coordinator also revealed that politicians hijacked most of the little grants apportioned to women farmers in the state.
According to her, most inputs and other benefits meant for SWOFON are mostly hijacked by politicians, a situation which deprives members access to their rights.
She, however, advised the government not to merge farmers’ grants with politicians’ grants as farmers were being cheated.
