The challenges of a Rural Farmer in Africa

Agriculture has received many contributions from different organizations, governments and individuals especially from UN who are keen to help reduce hunger and create a happier generation. It is a very good initiative and has received lots of accolades from youths, adults and many other corps who are now contributing to the interest of Agriculture.

   The rural farmers are known to be the agents manufacturing 75% of what we eat in Africa including the quantity exported on yearly basis. The exports include coffee, yam, cassava, ornamentals, and many others.

 The challenges they face on a daily basis cannot be overestimated. It is cumbersome and very stressful. The governments of various countries have rolled out different facilities and strategies to empower them but this has been hijacked by cabals in different government. A research into this will definitely open more damages done to them.

  The rural farmers has been pleading for government interventions but denied access. This is having a toll negatively on food prices and many influential and rich people has use this medium to import those scarce commodities  because they are in control of the government and this has make lots of these rural farmers helpless and poor.

   In the rural areas, agriculture is the major occupation and this has been their means of sustenance. A lot of them have been evacuated from their farmlands and domain due to insecurity, terrorism and unrests. There have been clashes and this has been politicized by different groups without providing solutions. The rural farmers are indeed helpless in this situation.

  Talk of innovation and use of technology, the rural farmers are never remembered and empowered to have access to this tools that will increase productivity. It is disheartening to know that many rural farmers do not know their farm size, can’t understand Good Agricultural practice, no access to storage facilities and the use of irrigation (either drip irrigation or any other irrigation technique) on their farmlands.

  All what they know is to plant and expect nature to favour them without controlling needed tools to increase output.

They are indeed a powerhouse to increase yield and avoid scarcity of food in our market. It is very important that we as stakeholder in food and Agriculture begin to include them in various programs and decisions, right from knowledge implementation to credit facilities.

They are indeed our heroes to help achieve zero hunger.