Women in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have raised the alarm over the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and its attendant adverse effects on them and their families.
A farmer in the Kufang area of the city, Serah Choji, said it had been very difficult to carry out their activities in the midst of COVID-19; hence there have been severe hunger and suffering among the people. She, however, said they were managing to go to farm irrespective of the challenges.
Mrs Choji, who is 54 years old, with seven children, said she was the one catering for the family as her husband had not been working.
According to her, although government later permitted farmers to go to farm, they still find things very difficult as they work on empty stomachs and return home without anything to eat, most of the time.
Asked if she had access to fertilisers, the mother of seven said she knew how to get it but there is no money as the situation on ground also affected the petty trading she uses to complement her farming activities.
She also lamented that to compound their problem, goats in their area have been eating their plants, and all efforts to stop them have proved abortive.
She called on the government to assist them in any way they can, especially the provision of fertilizer, stressing that maize and Irish potatoes cannot do well without the commodity.
Another farmer in Dadinkowa, Regina Joseph, said that without fertiliser, all their efforts would amount to waste. She said that right now, she is more concerned about how to buy food for her children.
She also lamented that the cost of fertiliser had skyrocketed. According to her, a measure of the commodity they bought at N150 now costs N350.
She said that in Plateau State, women farm more than the men, but they have been badly hit, especially in this COVID-19 period.
Mrs Naomi Kopur also said the pandemic had left her devastated, especially as they could not go to farm during the period of lockdown. She now buys pesticides and sprays on her farm against weeds and insects. She said it was expensive to buy food from traders; hence she had to embark on farming, at least to feed her family
As part of efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy of Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule, alongside the Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Professor Alananah Otaki, recently inspected 500 hectares of land in Doma, allocated for youth empowerment in agriculture.
During the inspection, the governor expressed concern that the country’s fragile economy would face major challenges after COVID-19, and Nasarawa would be at the receiving end. As a result of this projection, he, therefore, said there was the need for the state to hasten action on its programme on commercial agriculture.
“It is for this reason that we gathered here today to flag-off the sale of 930 metric tons (18,600 bags) of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer for the year 2020 cropping season. This will be sold to our farmers at a subsidised rate of N5,000 only, per bag.
“I, therefore, charge the beneficiaries to ensure a judicious use of the commodity for increased yield.
“We are also flagging off the distribution of 990 metric tons of ruminant feed supplements, as well as 80 metric tons of mineral salt licks, which were provided by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to livestock farmers and pastoralists across the state for free,’’ the governor said.
Most women who spoke to our correspondent said they engaged in subsistent farming, but wants government to assist them with fertilisers on loan and allow them pay back after harvest.
During the height of COVID-19 lockdown in Nasarawa State, the Emir of Keffi, Dr Shehu Chindo Yamusa, exempted farmers after a meeting with the governor. He said the decision was taken to reduce the adverse effect of the pandemic on the people.
In Benue State, female farmers are also finding it difficult. Our correspondent who spoke to some of them across the state gathered that access to fertiliser, inputs and labour has remained their major challenge in the face of the dreaded coronavirus ravaging the country.
The chairperson of Yam Farmers Association in the state, Mrs Scholarstica Amua, said it had become difficult for women to have access to fertiliser, due to lack of money.
“I haven’t gotten any fertiliser. Those accessing fertiliser are buying from markets at an exorbitant rate. Most female farmers in the state don’t have money to buy the commodity,’’ she said.
She further said her biggest challenge was lack of money to hire labourers who would help her in cultivating the land. She added that as a result of COVID-19, most women can no longer engage in large-scale farming.
“This has affected our daily routines so much that we now do very little on the farm, such as planting pepper and tomatoes in small scale,’’ she added.
She, therefore, appealed to the government to provide fertilisers, herbicides and other inputs to help female farmers.
Ada Hycinth, a farmer in the Ogobia-Otukpo area of the state, also lamented that due to lack of money, she could not have access to fertiliser. She said it was also difficult to get people to cultivate her farm, largely due to lack of finance. She added that the labourers preferred to work on cassava farms, where they would make quick money because it is easier to cultivate.
“At last, I had to plant my yam seedlings in May because there were no people to cultivate the land.
“As it is, I haven’t gotten any fertiliser because I cannot afford it. Another challenge is the money to convey the youths to the farm and provide their lunch. Everything is expensive under this COVID-19 era,’’ she said.
Also, Maria Audu, another female farmer in Otukpo, said the pandemic had impacted negatively on her activities as her daily routine has completely changed.
