20th November, 2022
Some women in Jos metropolis, seeking alternatives to high prices of staple food and vegetables, have taken to backyard farming for the daily food needs of their families.
Some of the women who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos, said it is commonsensical to have a small farm to augment income and extra food supplies for the family.
Mrs Grace Joshua, a teacher, said she planted everything plantable on her farm as the high cost of food in the market is overbearing.
“I have harvested my corn, sweet potatoes and cassava. They are enough to feed my family for a year,” said Joshua.
Mrs Kemi Oladele, a poultry farmer, said she planted sweet potatoes and some vegetables for her family’s use.
“I will try beans and other crops next year as my entire family now depends on produce from the farm, ” said Oladele.
Mrs Helen Dung, a mother of three children, said her backyard vegetable farm paid some of her bills this year and she even had enough to give to relatives.
The state Coordinator, Country Women’s Association of Nigeria (COWAN), Mrs Jessica Vonkat, said every woman had been advised to cultivate staple food crops and vegetables in their backyard, adding that the recent hike in prices of foodstuffs is enough to push everyone into farming.
She said aside from the huge health benefit of eating fresh vegetables from the backyard, it would help women save money and reduce costs.
“I have a cement floor in my house but I use polythene bags for planting and this year I got yams, corn and vegetables,” she said.
Furthermore, she said farming is more of a hobby to her. I would encourage every woman to key into backyard farming to enhance food security.