We have impacted in food security, govt must support us more, says Oyo state women leader

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.