Fako divisional delegate of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prundencia Fomkwe, has emphasised that family agriculture is a necessity for sustainable development and as such, must be promoted.

The delegate said this during the celebration of the 19th edition of World Rural Women’s day, at Batoke village, where more than thirty women’s groups gathered to participate in the day’s activities.

Chairing the ceremony which was themed Together let us promote family agriculture, Fako SDO, Zang III said farming is a noble profession because it is farmers who feed the world and according to him, the occupation is not reserved only for the poor.

The SDO appreciated the women for their massive turnout and assured them that government is working out strategies to improve their conditions and ease their farm work.

Zang III however regretted the fact that most young people do not indulge in farming, and called on them to engage themselves as, farming is a thing of the family.

Talking on the essence of family agriculture, the delegate said “If we want the peace that we enjoy in this country to be sustainable, we must be able to feed our population, and considering the ever growing population and the ever aging rural population, we cannot continue to leave food crop farming only to the women; all members in the family must participate in family agriculture”.

She continued that through working together as a family, family harmony will be reinforced, parents will tell their children the history, stories and cultural values of their clans, a more difficult task will be done by the stronger people, the spirit of mutual help and solidarity is built and strengthened and some children can develop the interest of doing large scale agriculture, agronomy, food transformation, nutrition, research etc.

However, according to Mrs Fomkwe, productivity and earnings are low due to lack of storage facilities, absence of farm to market roads, training, credits, farm inputs, land rights amongst others, and she urged government to continuously look into the plight of the rural woman.

The women who appeared happy and eager to celebrate, with diverse products on exhibition stands, thrilled the onlookers with various songs on the value of farming, participated in a march pass ceremony and some farming groups were handed equipment from donors to aid and promote their work.