The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday in Benin organised a workshop for women farmers from the South-South region on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Declaring the workshop open, Dr Mahmood Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the training would build and enhance the resilience of the farmers against the threat and impacts of climate in agricultural production.
The minister, who was represented by Mr Wellington Omoragbon, State Director of the Federal Ministry in Edo, said that Nigeria’s agriculture was most vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts of climate change.
“Indeed, it is rain-fed dependent. Any change in the weather pattern, in terms of the amount, intensity, duration, and the on-set, affect farmers decisions.
“Available statistics indicates that women constitute more than 80 per cent of the labour force involved in agricultural production and grow up to 80 per cent of the food in Nigeria.
“Overall, they constitute about 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries,” he said.
In his remark, Mr Peter Aikhuomobhogbe, the Permanent Secretary, Edo Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, lauded the federal government for mainstreaming women in agriculture into the climate change discussion.
Aikhuomobhogbe said thst innovations to mitigate climate change and improve agricultural production would guarrantee food security.
He expressed delight that women farmers were considered for such opportunity because of their valuable role in the agriculture.
“Edo has put in place strategies and a lot of interventions to support agriculture.
“Our focus and supports are in the areas of maize, rice and sorghum for crop farming, rubber and oil palm for cash crop and livestock productions.
“In all these, we ensure it is 60:40 ratio for men and women farmers. In some cases, it is all women like we have in cassava processing.
“We take intervention for women farmers very serious,” he said.
Earlier in her address, Mrs Ifeoma Ayanwu, Head of Gender Desk in the ministry, advised the women farmers to always constitute themselves into cooperative groups for better coordination and recognition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Steering Committee for the Implementation of the National Gender Policy on Agriculture was inaugurated by the ministry during the event.(NAN)