Madam Rabia Ziblim, a 59- year- old farmer in Karaga District, has appealed to government to increase support to smallholder farmers in the district to facilitate the pace of reducing extreme poverty.

According to her any policy intervention that aims at fighting poverty and does not prioritised active women participation would be counter-productive since women could play critical roles in the process.

Madam Ziblim was contributing at a policy dialogue meeting in Karaga, organised by SIFA Agro Trade Investment Company Limited and USAID Agriculture Policy Support Project.

The project is aimed at supporting farmers assess the impact of Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan and Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project on their welfare and feed their inputs into the National Agriculture Policy Framework.

Madam Ziblim complained that women in the area have no access to reliable source of financing as loans for their farming activities during farming season.

She said improving access to financing for smallholder women farmers during farming seasons would empower them to make important decisions on their livelihood without necessarily depending on their male counterparts.

“We need support during the farming seasons. What we usually get is promises and you cannot fight poverty and improve your living standard with empty promises,’’ she said.

Madam Ziblim said the many workshops and seminars organised for women had not addressed the challenges of getting access to credit.

According to her farmers in the district are faced with marketing problems due to the poor nature of road network.

“We produced more water melon last year, although we are close to Tamale, the buyers go as far as Bolgatanga and sometimes Bawku to buy. They don’t come to Karaga where we have competitive price due to the roads.’’

She therefore appealed to government and the international community to support women in the area with loans and good road network to spur economic growth and reduce poverty.

She explained that the district has the potential to produce half the food requirements of the Northern Region if adequate support is provided.

Mr Dominic Imoro Ayisyan, District Director of Food and Agriculture, commended farmers in the district for their efforts in support the government’s national food security drive.

About 32 farmer leaders from 22 farmer-based organisations in the district attended the policy dialogue meeting.

It would be preceded with a community agriculture policy fair that would provide smallholder farmers the platform to present the outcome of the dialogue meeting with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.