Farmers and key agricultural stakeholders have raised concerns that political interference is preventing genuine farmers from benefiting from essential farming resources, thus threatening food security in the region.
The alarm was sounded during a recent presentation in Akure, where stakeholders from the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON) and the Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) gathered to discuss the Community Score Cards for the Ondo-CARES Fadama Program. This program was designed to support smallholder farmers in the state through federal interventions aimed at enhancing food security.
The presentation highlighted significant issues with how agricultural inputs are distributed in Ondo State. According to the data presented by JDPC, political influence has severely affected the allocation of farm inputs. The data revealed that in all 18 local government areas of Ondo State, political meddling has obstructed the fair distribution of agricultural resources.
JDPC’s report showed disturbing statistics: 0% of respondents had adequate access to support services, while 94% were unaware of the availability and accessibility of these services. Only 6% of respondents had some knowledge of the support services, and no one reported that the services were adequate. The report noted that the delay and lack of timely intervention had further exacerbated the difficulties faced by smallholder farmers.
The concerns raised by farmers are not new. The Ondo-CARES Fadama Program, which is part of the federal NG-CARES initiative, was allocated N995,400,000 in 2021 to support food security and sustainable livelihoods.
Despite this substantial budget, the performance data for 2021 showed no clear benefits, with a notable improvement to 97.6% in 2022 but a decline to 70.4% in 2023.
The discrepancy between budget allocations and actual benefits reached by farmers underscores a broader issue. Stakeholders have pointed out that political interference has hampered effective implementation of the program, thereby preventing the intended recipients—smallholder women farmers—from accessing the necessary support.
The stakeholders outlined several challenges affecting the distribution of agricultural inputs:
- Political Interference: The report claims that political influence has distorted the planning and distribution processes, preventing real farmers from benefiting.
- Lack of Awareness: There has been insufficient publicity about the NG-CARES (Ondo-CARES Fadama) program among smallholder women farmers, who are predominantly located in rural areas.
- Inadequate Data and Participation: The design, planning, and implementation stages of the program did not adequately involve smallholder women farmers, leading to gaps in data capturing and effective outreach.
To address these issues, the stakeholders have made several recommendations:
- Enhanced Awareness: They call for a robust awareness campaign to inform smallholder women farmers about the NG-CARES (Ondo-CARES Fadama) intervention. This includes utilizing various communication channels to reach farmers in remote areas.
- Inclusion in Planning: It is crucial to involve smallholder women farmers from the design to the implementation stages of agricultural interventions to ensure fair distribution of inputs and services.
- Training and Modern Techniques: The stakeholders recommend training smallholder farmers on modern farming techniques to improve their knowledge and skills. This will help them adapt to climate changes, enhance food production, and reduce hunger.
