Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria, SWOFON, Kogi State Chapter, has decried the six percent budgetary allocation for Agriculture in the 2021 Kogi State Government budget.
Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that the women farmers, noted that if Agriculture is to serve as a means of diversifying the economy of Kogi State as promised in the new direction blueprint of the State Government, then the 6.58% allocation to the Agricultural sector is grossly inadequate.
In a statement signed Wednesday February 24 by the Kogi State Coordinator of SWOFON, Hajia Sefiya Yahaya, she stated that Nigeria is a signatory to the Maputo declaration of 2003, which reiterated the commitment of every Nation to provide at-least 10% of its annual budget to agriculture.
The statement averred: "In Kogi State year 202l budget, Agriculture sector yet again got the least allocation compared to other major sectors that drives the social-economic development of the State, such as Education and Health. Agriculture received the least at 6.58% compared to 28.89% for Education, 31.l4% for Health"
According to the women farmers, the total state budget recurrent expenditure for 2021 is now higher than the capital expenditure, which was the reverse case with the 2020 budget.
The association observed: "There has been fluctuating budgetary allocation to Kogi State Agricultural sector budget since 2016 till date. There are unclear budget line items as noted above.
"Consistent allocation of sums to Women in Agriculture, without releases since 2016 till date. The N100,000,000 budgetary allocation to Youth in Agriculture and the subsequent release of N95, 000,000 in 2020 was unclear as there is no clear~ cut policies on women and youth in Kogi State. The location, targets, beneficiaries are not stated.
"There are no funds allocation for Climate Resistant seedling to combat climate change in Kogi State. The funds allocated for Research and Development is inexplicably high".
Hajia Yahaya recommended the need to review existing policies and frame work on Agriculture, increase funding to the sector to meet the 10% Maputo declaration and the need to improve on the funds released to the sector as some of the ways to boost Agricultural development in the state.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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