Nigerian Govt. told to Invest in women farmers.

Nigerian farmers working in field in Middle Belt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AGRICULTURE  expert Dr  Elizabeth Oluwalana has urged the  Federal  Government to invest in women  farmers to ensure long-term food security. Mrs Oluwalana, of the Department of  Business Enterprise and Management and Entrepreneurship Studies, College of Management Sciences, Federal University  of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said food security indicators are on red alert despite measures taken. She added  that  a  functional  strategy must focus on long-term investment in women farmers  who  labour to produce food. She urged the government to redistribute the revenues extracted from the country’s natural resources to  benefit women farmers. Mrs Oluwalana  said  food insecurity must be addressed by strengthening responses aimed at helping women farmers. Women farmers produce more than half of all food worldwide and currently account for 43 per cent of the global agricultural labour force, yet few extension or research services are directed at women farmers, according to new research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute. Women produce as much as 50 per cent of the agricultural output in South Asia and 80 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, according  to the report. In spite of women farmers’ essential roles in global and local food security, there is a persistent gender gap in agriculture, the report said.

Farmer shelling maize (Photo credit: IITA Image Library)

Cultural norms and restrictive property or inheritance rights, the report  said  limit the types and amount of financial resources, land, or technology available to women. Studies in South Asia and throughout the Middle East ,the report  said also showed that women receive lower wages and are more likely to work part-time or seasonally than men in comparable jobs, regardless of similar levels of education and experience.

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