NGOs Advocate Labour-Saving Technologies to Ease Burden on Small Scale Farmers

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Kogi State Government has been advised to  adopt labour-saving technologies to ease the burden on smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, to encourage agricultural practice, and stop seeking white collar jobs.

Some groups and Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation (SWOFON) have also urged the state government to increase the allocation for purchase of farm inputs such as organic fertilizers, improved seedlings and subsidize the farmers across the state to increase their access to inputs to boost food production in the state.

Kogi State Budget Committee Group is a group of NGOs working on agriculture issues in collaboration with SWOFON to ensure food security.

The groups, which are supported by the Actionaid Nigeria, have expressed  worries over the high level of inconsistencies of the government and  constant lack of release of the budgetary allocations into the critical sectors ( agriculture) in the state .

The groups, SWOFON and BCG gave this admonition following the critical review of the 2025 budgetary allocations for agriculture sector presented by Mr. Mathias Okpqnachi, chairman; Hajia Larai Ahmed, coordinator of SWOFON, and Hamza Aliyu, who represented BCG  in a chat with the  journalists in Lokoja yesterday.

They explained that despite ongoing advocacy for increased agricultural funding, the 2025 approved budget saw a decline in allocation from 3.37 percent in 2024 to 2.79 percent, falling significantly short of the 10 percent target set by the Maputo Declaration.

They urged the state government in partnership with relevant MDAs to  urgently prioritise increased funding for the agriculture sector.

The groups lamented that  given the low budget performance in 2024 and the lack of fund releases for projects supporting smallholder farmers, noting that there is a critical need for improved and timely budget releases along with adequate cash backing for budget lines targeting smallholder farmers in the 2025 agriculture budget.

“We recommend that the Kogi State Government expand post-harvest loss reduction interventions beyond grain storage to include fruits and vegetables, given the state abundance. A Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach should be considered to establish fruit processing industries.

“With Kogi State accounting for N94.5billion of Nigeria’s annual N3.5 trillion post-harvest losses, and smallholder women farmers having access to only 19.90 percent processing and 19.45 percent storage facilities, there is a critical need for investment in cottage-level processing and storage infrastructure. We also recommend prompt fund releases and increased future funding.

“We recommend increased funding and support for the adoption of labour-saving technologies to ease the burden on smallholder farmers, particularly women.

“There must be free access to tools such as planters, threshers, and small-scale mechanised equipment will enhance productivity, reduce drudgery, and improve efficiency across the agricultural value chain. Ensuring availability, affordability, and training on these technologies is essential for sustainable impact,” the NGOs posited.