2022 Budget Proposal: Stakeholders Want 10 Percent Allocation To Agric In Bauch
By Mohammed kaka Misau, Bauchi.
Stakeholders in Bauchi have appealed to the state government to allocate at least 10 percent of its annual budget to the agricultural sector in order to improve food security.
This was part of the recommendations made during a one day stakeholders Consultative meeting on 2022 Agriculture budget organize by Fahimta women and youth Development association in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Ministry of budget and Economic planning held at BSDP conference hall.
The forum stressed the need to bring more smallholder women farmers to the front of the budget planning discussion at state levels to enable them join their male counterparts in the discussion and planning of agricultural budget and its implementation.
They emphasized the need to create a budget line to ensure continued coordination and the implementation of the Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the Agriculture Budget annually at the State levels.
On the 2022 budget, the forum recommended that, as a matter of principle, the budget for agriculture and rural development should be in conformity with the State Strategic Development Plan (2021-2025), stressing the need to have a State investment plan for the agricultural sector.
The forum therefore urged the Bauchi State government to allocate more public investments in agriculture with a view to addressing the strategic areas of investments that would increase the agricultural GDP to at least 6%.
They commended the Bauchi State Government for its commitment and efforts towards ensuring accountability, transparency, and openness in the Bauchi state public finance systems .
In his remark at the occasion, the program manager, Bauchi state Agricultural Development Programme BSDP Abubakar Jafaru Ilelah commended Fahimta women and youth Development association and ActionAid Nigeria for coming up with the initiative.
While highlighting some key roles women farmers play in boosting food security in the state, Ilelah added that the state government has promised to recruit more agricultural workers to address the challenges in the agricultural sector.
A total number of 58 participants attended the meeting that include the House Committee on Agriculture, members of Farmers’ Organizations, representatives of Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON), representatives of Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN),Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) , journalists among others.
