A non-governmental organisation, Zikel Women Foundation, on Friday said that improving and providing good agricultural techniques are key to boosting food sufficiency and rural community development.

The foundation’s Executive Director, Hannatu Ezekiel, said this during an interview in Abuja.

Ms Ezekiel, who is also an advocate for women and youth development, said that improving agriculture, with emphasis on the combination of appropriate production factors, was essential for community development.

She said, “There should be more initiatives and incentives to encourage and uplift farmers and farming at the local level, with new methods of farming techniques, especially for dry season farming. More agricultural subsidies, provision of good seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, farm equipment, as well as other support activities to produce more food, will attract investors to the rural communities.

“The presence of these agricultural activities will not only improve the quality of life of the people by reducing poverty or providing self-employment and wages, but also open doors for other enterprises.”

She also said that an integrated rural development aimed at providing a socio-economic change in rural areas, based on the mobilisation of local, natural, and human resources, would be effective.

Ms Ezekiel noted that the process should enable linking agriculture with other economic activities, where an adequate approach to regional development contributing to a more balanced development would be provided.

She identified some barriers to rural development as illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, crime, violence, inconsistent power supply, scarce infrastructure, unreliable communication systems, among others.

According to her, improving infrastructure, mitigating the impact of continuing population growth and uneven distribution of income should be considered by the government and relevant stakeholders.

She said, “Identifying opportunities for education is also an important component to consider in developing food security policies as well as strategies to enrol programmes that would benefit the rural dwellers directly.”

She said that with good implementation strategies, more goals would be achieved in due time on infrastructural development, industrialisation, integrated rural development and community development.

Zikel Women Foundation is an organisation focused on farming and rural development. It serves as a hub for female farmers.

The organisation promotes sustainable livelihoods by building the capacities of farmers, especially women producers, on improved agricultural practices and new technologies.

(NAN)