Govt Neglect Smallholder Farmers

Farmers

Stakeholders in agriculture have accused government of favoring big-time farmers, while neglecting smallholders.

They said governments at all levels grant multinationals and big organisations tax holidays on acquired land, leaving the small-scale growers to their own devices.

The stakeholders who gathered in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, included Actionaid, Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), the State government and Association of Smallholder Farmers of Nigeria.

Actionaid’s Food and Agriculture Advisor, Azubuike Nwokoye said government’s preference to big-time investors in agriculture is worrying and that in some instances government gives moratorium between 10 and 15 years with low bank interest rate to such investors, neglecting the small holder farmers.

Nwokoye said, “Smallholder farmers especially women farmers who produce the bulk of the food we consume in Nigeria are neglected. That is why we must put all hands on deck to protect them and we must also resist the rich from forcefully and illegally grabbing our land from us.”

Director, Kwara State Bureaus of Land, Muideen Abdulkadir said the bureau will assist organisations, associations and individuals in acquiring land for farming activities.

A woman farmer from Asa Local Government Area of the state, Iyabo Babatunde urged the state government to assist women in the state through provision of land and farm implements.
She said their plight is being compounded by the Fulani herdsmen whose cows invade their farmlands to graze thereby destroying their crops.

CCEPE Programme Officer, Abdulrahaman Ayuba presented the simplified versions of the United Nations voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure on land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security.

The guidelines contain rights of the farmers, states obligations to farmers, investors, judiciary, communities and agencies’ obligations and also stipulate that farmers have rights to hold and use land, fisheries and forests whether registered or not registered; farmers have the right to demand for justice; rights to be protected against eviction and rights to be informed of prior knowledge of any land deal.

States obligations include providing necessary laws to recognize, respect and protect people’s land rights, providing access to justice, prevent tenure disputes, seek free prior informed consent of all community members and provide equitable land valuation mechanisms and fair tax systems for land, fisheries and forestry.

To investors, UN guidelines stipulate disclosure at all times and in all settings, full information of their real investment and land use intentions, respect and recognise the land rights of all community members; seek agreement of all community members before any land contract is signed.

The guidelines also urge communities to know their rights and how to protect themselves against corrupt behaviours from others; should demand full compensation where their rights are lawfully or unlawfully violated; to provide and promote a conducive environment for negotiations and interactions with investors and the government; provide and apply all available dispute resolution systems and should not discriminate against women on issues that relate to use of land, fisheries and forests.

Judiciary’s obligations include application and enforcement of all laws to protect interest of farmers and other land rights holders; hear all cases without discrimination on basis of gender, ethnicity and religion and provision of prompt and efficient services without requesting for bribes.