The Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Gombe State chapter, has called on the state government to increase funding of agriculture to boost food security.

This call is part of the resolutions on Tuesday after one-day of public financing for the agriculture budget committee summit held in Gombe.

The summit was held to share experiences, best practices and build a link towards achieving Scaling up Public Investments in Agriculture (SUPIA).

The summit was organized by Hope Foundation for the Lonely and sponsored by ActionAid Nigeria.

While reading the communiqué, Mr. Yusuf Atiku, the acting chairman, Public Financing for Agriculture, Budget Committee, Gombe State, said increased investment in the sector would boost food production and reduce hunger and poverty.

Atiku stated that the forum listed areas that the investment should cover to include extension services, access to credit, women, and youth in agriculture, technologies, inputs, and post-harvest losses reduction.

The forum also called on the state government to come up with an investment plan for the agric sector, which should be a compilation of the local council’s investment plans that contained local crops with comparative advantage.

“Most farming activities are seasonal and are determined by climatic conditions; funds release should be considered while giving priority to dry season farming,” he said.

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The forum observed a marginal increase in budgetary allocations to the agric sector in Gombe State between 2012 and 2021.

He, however, urged the government to scale up budgetary allocation to the sector to meet the 10 percent Maputo Declaration benchmark.

The forum also called for funding of mechanization of the sector as doing such would “not only mean more food but also create jobs to engage youths that have turned to crime for a living.”

While urging the state government to release the budgeted funds to SWOFON, the forum commended the state government for taking their observations and recommendations in the preparation of the proposed 2022 budget of the state. (NAN)