Female farmers canvass security in farms, self-defence skills

Female participants at agricultural training programmes in the country have canvassed adequate protection of farmers’ lives and property to boost their involvement in farming.

After a recent programme at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Kwara State, the women said that training in farming devoid of self-defence could reduce their participation in commercial farming.

Apparently referring to the recent murder of some farmers in parts of the country, they urged the government to proactively respond to the senseless killings.

Mrs. Mulikat Bakare, who stood in for Adekanye Abdelmajid (representing Ijebu North, East and Ogun Waterside in the House of Representatives), said: “As novel as the training were, we must confess that the way Nigerian farmers are being killed today on their farms could scare many females from farming.”

Abdelmajid and Sen. Teslim Folarin (Oyo Central) sponsored the training of over 80 farmers in the South-West geo-political zone.

First leg of the training was on ‘Entrepreneurship Training and Manpower Development in Agriculture for Youths in South West Nigeria’, while the second was on ‘Training and Empowerment of Youths and Women in Mechanised Agricultural Techniques in Oyo Central Senatorial District of Oyo State.’

A participant from Ibadan, Oyo State, Modupe Joel, said the training, especially the use of agricultural machines fabricated by NCAM, placed them at par with their male counterparts in agribusiness.

She added: “The use of modern tools on farms has eradicated the use of manpower, which was the edge our male counterparts had over us in the past. Even where manpower is required, we can easily hire labourers to assist us.”

Executive Director of NCAM, Dr. Yomi Kasali, urged the participants to judiciously use the starter packs given them and concentrate on Integrated Farming System (IFS) to timely break-even in agribusiness.

The Head of Department, Farm Power and Machinery, NCAM, Dr. Abdulgafar Kamaldeen, represented Kasali at the event.