Female Farmers Want Special Agric Loan Scheme

Female farmers in Kano State, under the aegis of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), have called for the introduction of a special agricultural loan scheme for female farmers in the country.

AFAN Woman Leader in the state, Hajiya Fatima Kiru, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

Kiru said that the call became necessary to enable more women farmers access agricultural loans to improve food production in the country.

“This will also encourage more women, especially those in the rural areas, to embrace farming in the country,’’ she said.

Kiru also appealed to the Kano State Government to give female farmers in the state special consideration in the allocation of fertiliser.

She also wants the state government to give special attention to women in the allocation of improved seeds to save them from the usual rigours of getting the commodity.

According to her, many women farmers in the state have yet to get the government’s subsidised fertiliser due to what she described as the non recognition of women farmers.

Kiru, however, commended the state government for the special consideration it gave to women in the various empowerment programmes it initiated in the last one year.

She further advised the Federal Government to reduce interest rate on agricultural loans in order to boost food production in the country.

She said that AFAN in conjunction with USAID had planned to train women farmers in the state on modern farming techniques.

“Already we have over 1,000 registered women under AFAN in the state and we intend to train them on new farming methods very soon,’’ Kiru said.