‘Women Critical in Food Value Chain’

‘Women Critical in Food Value Chain’

Oluchi Chibuzor
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, has stressed the need for more women participation in agricultural food value chain.

According to him, engaging more women in various agricultural activities would ensure sustainability and food security in the country.

Nanono, disclosed this when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Women Agro-Allied Farmers Association (NIWAAFA) in Abuja, recently.

He stated that in recent times, women have shown to be leading participants in agro-processing, milling of groundnut, processing cassava into flour and chips in order to meet their needs and also improve the economy of the country.

He, therefore, urged NIWAAFA to integrate more women both in the rural and urban areas, cutting across states of the federation into the association.

He cited the examples of the Fulani women selling milk and also other woman traders, trading in agricultural commodities, adding that the association should get more vocal people, so that they will politically, economically and socially be recognised in the country.

According to him, “the federal government has set up five milk processing factories across the country and would establishing more of them.”

The minister noted the challenges facing women farmers in Nigeria, such as the inability to stand on their own and get financing for what they do.

He, therefore, promised to link them up with some donor agencies that are gender sensitive in order to assist them to access loans to enable them acquire other farming tools.

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