Food security: CSOs, Agric stakeholders calls for prioritization of agriculture sector

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and some agriculture stakeholders has called on the Kwara Government to prioritize agriculture sector to tackle food insecurity and economic situation in the state.

This among other things were contained in a communique issued after a one-day Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting on the 2024 Budget on Friday in Ilorin.

The meeting was aimed at facilitating conversations amongst key stakeholders connecting the Kwara State framework, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) targets and Government intentions within the Kwara State Agriculture and Rural Development in the State.

It also aimed at strengthening citizens’ participation towards making 2024 Agriculture budget responsive for food security and wealth creation.

According to the communique, the government was urged to outline various programmes targeted at youth empowerment/employment in Agriculture and make vibrant budgetary allocation.

”There should be specific budgetary allocation for Women in Agriculture, especially smallholder women farmers.

”We seek the inclusion of Agriculture oriented CSOs and women farmers in the Agriculture budget planning and processes of the state.

”We recommend continuous training for women farmers on modern farming tools and best agricultural practices so as to increase productivity and enhanced agriculture value chain.

”Farmers especially smallholder women farmers should be consulted in the design of inputs distribution model and actual implementation

”Distribution of farm inputs should be done timely and directly to the stakeholders at the grass-root rather than State level so it can get to the targeted beneficiaries.

”We recommend that Monitoring and Evaluation of projects and programs should be sustained and improved upon in subsequent years with involvement of CSOs and farmers group for effective result in budget implementation,” the stakeholders recommended.

Through the communique, the stakeholders also called on the State Government to priotise increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector to ensure increased food production, reduce hunger and poverty.

”The state government should ensure transparency and accountability; all Agricultural related budget activities should be housed in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

”There should be adequate budget provision to support organic farming, e.g, provision of eco-friendly inputs, in order to adapt the state agricultural system to eco-friendly practices and operations.

”We seek the inclusion of farmers with disabilities in the Agriculture budget planning and processes of the state,” the stakeholders agreed.

They further recommended the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to create a yearly strengthening access to credit budget line for farmers.

”The funding should focus on: Criteria, requirements, and documentations because accessing credit is too cumbersome, so majority of smallholder farmers are not having access to credit in Nigeria.

”It should develop an enabling environment and a policy framework that will enable smallholder farmers especially women, youths and farmers living with disability easy access to credit on single digit interest rate.

”A specialized team or consultancy firm should be gotten through this budget line and they will ensure that the cooperatives accesses such facilities and other services like extension, insurance, etc. and even market access and they are able to pay back at the end of each circle, etc.

”Handholding farmers (women, youths and farmers living with disability cooperatives) to access existing CBN agricultural credit facilities through a team or consultancy firm which prepares their business proposals, interfaces, and negotiates with BOA, Bank of Industry, NIRSAL, commercial and microfinance banks

”There should be specific budgetary allocation for Women in Agriculture, especially smallholder women farmers,” the communique read.

The stakeholders also urged the State Ministry of Agriculture to deploy unified and continuously updated system for farmer’s data collection and ensure that
agriculture interventions and support to farmers should not politicized.

They further called for the reactivation of Kwara Agro-Mall to accommodate research and development base station for the State agriculture sector.

The State Government should also partner relevant stakeholders such as National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) for fabrication/production/purchase of hand held tools for Smallholder women farmers. E.g. Mini tractor, weeder, harvesters, planters etc.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders that attended the meeting include Smallscale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE) and Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Others include Kwara State Ministry of Planning and Economy Development, Kwara State Agricultural Development Programme, Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs, FADAMA/NG-CARES, Rural Access and Agriculture Marketing Project (RAAMP), Connected Development (CODE) and Green Globe Initiative (GGI)

The remaining stakeholders are Gold Spring Cares Initiative, Community Agricultural Initiative Programme (CAIP), Worthy Life Education and Health Foundation, FEMCOM, TruOrganic Africa and Joint National Association of People with Disability (JONAPWD).