The coordinator of National Association of Women farmers of Nigeria, Oyo state chapter, Chief (Mrs) Arinola Aderibigbe |
The coordinator of National
Association of Women farmers of Nigeria, Oyo state chapter, Chief (Mrs) Arinola
Aderibigbe has solicited for government more inputs support for members of the association saying their
contribution to food security was very evident in crops like cassava and maize
where best agronomics practice against army worm through IAR&T were
exhibited to ensure maximum yield.
Speaking with Food Farm News at Ibadan, Mrs Aderibigbe said that food production
coming from the women farms across the state have positively impacted to food
security pointed that produce from them are used in the food processing
centres, as women were given training in ginger, snailery and turmeric
production, processing and marketing bu the National Institute of Horticulture.
The Oyo state women leader who was
thankful to the government for tractor provision for land clearing added that
more support should be given to remove farming drudgery occasioned by labour on
weeding and provision of agro inputs that would sufficiently go round her
members who are day by day increasing in the food production.
Said she, “ we are thankful of
government intervention for our association, but we want both the state and
federal governments to do more as a result of increasing members in the state.
We have trained our women groups on ginger production and processing. Also we
have trained them in keeping of snailery,
and turmeric production through the
help of National Institute of Horticulture, Ibadan. We have 150 hectares of
farm land for cassava and maize in Lanlante, 50 hectares in Oyo and now 300
hectares at Igangan for rice production.
These farms were the sources of of raw
material for our garri cottage industry at Akanran, Oyo town and Ibadan”,
adding“We have been able to contribute as cooperative to buy a tractor that we
are using to clear our farm lands. It is not a farming of hoe and cutlass we
are doing. We are imploring both the state and federal government to give us
more tractors and other agro inputs that will assist us in food productivity
towards food security”
She commended the support of the
Institute for Agriculture Research and Training, Moor Plantation, Ibadan saying
the best agronomics practice of crops production of its association was based
on the training from the Institute especially in combating army worm against
maize, while she also appreciated the FG for the provision of gari processing centers
in the state.
“In Oyo state we have women
cooperatives of 350 members with each having its members running to 20 people.
We are part of the existing Non-Governmental Organizations that are well
recognized by government and our achievements speak volume for us both at the
national and state level as we have won several awards at the national
agricultural shows,” said the women leader.
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