2018 farming season: Women farmers call for zero-interest loan

Some women farmers in Nasarawa State have called on the federal and state governments to assist them with interest-free loans to boost agricultural production. They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi on Tuesday. The women also appealed to government at all levels to increase budgetary allocation […]

Some women farmers in Nasarawa State have called on the federal and state governments to assist them with interest-free loans to boost agricultural production.

They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi on Tuesday.

The women also appealed to government at all levels to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture to boost the nation’s food production.

They also called for the provision of free health facilities in rural areas in order to reduce mother-child mortality rate.

Mrs. Lami Joseph, a resident of Keffi, remarked that rural women depended on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihood.

“More than half of Nigeria’s population is living in the rural areas,’’ Joseph said.

According to her, provision of soft loans to finance agricultural activities will help in reducing poverty and unemployment.

Another woman, Mrs. Talatu Nafa, also appealed to government to provide agricultural inputs to farmers at subsidised rates.

Nafa said adequate attention should be given to the provision of standard health facilities and water supply to make life easier for rural dwellers.

Provision of zero-interest loans, she said, would boost agricultural production and help to also boost employment and the nation’s socio-economic development.

Mrs. Zainab Audu, another woman farmer, corroborated the earlier respondents by appealing to government at all levels to address the challenge of poor social amenities in rural communities.

“This will help to improve the standard of living of the rural dwellers,” Audu said. (NAN)