Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria & Gombe State Budget Committee Group, says climate change poses threat to food security, urging government to embrace climate resilient sustainable agriculture.
The Gombe State Coordinator, Airudia Mamman, made these disclosures on May 27, 2024 during Gombe State 2024 agriculture budget analysis observations and recommendations organised with support from Hope Foundation for the Lonely, and ActionAid Nigeria.
According to SWOFON, authorities should encourage agroecology, stressing that it would boost productivity and harness the state’s potential in attaining food security.
She said, “With increase in climatic changes (e.g global warming, floods, etc.) and its adverse effects on the yield in agriculture together with the insecurity as a result of food insecurity, there is need for climate resilient/agroecological practices and technology for sustainable food production to mitigate climate change. These practices include improved soil and land management practices, crop production interventions and cropping systems organic manures and pesticide etc.
“The 2024 budget has not made provision for Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture. The situation has been the same for years despite advocacies by the Budget committee for the government to adopt climate resilient sustainable agriculture due to climatic change globally.”
Speaking further Mamman notes that through research, development would be achieved, adding “The development of a credible and reliable research and development base for sustainable Agriculture is critical for a viable food secured society.
The availability of reliable data for planning coupled with a strong culture of crop research to produce climate resilient seedlings and inputs, is important going forward. There was no allocation for research and development in the 2024 Agriculture Budget giving its importance in the 21st century farming business and most importantly now that the economy is mostly dependent on agriculture.”On post-harvest losses, SWOFON decried lack of releases to funds budgeted to losses in the state
“Post-harvest losses are a significant factor in the improvement of agriculture, especially for smallholder farmers in Gombe State. The 2024 budget has allocated N 10,000,000.00 for intervention in reducing post-harvest losses. This is commendable; however, the same amount was budgeted for in 2023 without any releases,” she added.
The group also urged the government to increase funding to the sector to meet the 10 per cent Maputo declaration, adding “There is need to increase funding to Agriculture sector to meet up with the 10 per cent commitment. This can be done by progressively increasing the budget. The increase should also be channelled to capital expenditure and increase in overheads that facilitates the realization of the sector’s objectives. The capital expenditure should be more of developmental capital expenditure as against administrative capital expenditure.”
Chief Executive Officer of HFL, Sarah Yapwa, called on government to ensure timely release of budgeted funds adding that “With timely release women will be encouraged to farm and this will boost food security and and increase productivity.”
On her part, Programme Officer of HFL, Ballin James, disclosed that unlike previous years when funds budgeted were not released she noted that there are new measures employed by stakeholders.”We have developed workplan to budget,planning towards release,” James said.
