Interim President of the coalition, Hajia Hajaratu, made this appeal in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja, yesterday.
The pledge, according to the women farmers’ coalition, was made by President Goodluck Jonathan while presenting the 2013 budget to the National Assembly last year.
The provision of the cell phones was to enable more women farmers key in into the Growth Enhancement Scheme (Wallet Voucher), that is part of the Agricultural Transformational Agenda, ATA, of the Federal Government.
The statement added that lack of access to such cell phones and in some cases, network services, had impeded the success of the scheme conceived to fast-track the distribution of farm inputs, especially among small holder women farmers.
It also noted that transportation of farm produce from one point to another as a ‘huge burden’ on women in agriculture, saying that the challenge had accounted for massive loss and wastage of farm harvests.
“We demand improved transportation service for farmers, especially women farmers, who bear the burden of moving harvests from one point to another.
“We recommend the provision of ‘Keke NAPEP’ in communities and farm centres to ease movement of farm produce for women, especially small holder farmers,” it added.
