Some women in Bauchi have said that backyard farming has helped them reduce household spending on groceries and improved their incomes.
A cross section of the women, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Bauchi, said the practice was more beneficial during the rainy season when crops grow easily around homes.
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Ms Esther Garba, a student, said she practised backyard farming to keep herself busy and provide vegetables for her family without going to the market.
Garba said she cultivated spinach, tomato, maize and beans in her backyard.
“When preparing soup, I get the vegetables from my backyard. I don’t have to go to the market to buy it,” she said.
A housewife, Mrs Chungfi Yusuf, said she embraced backyard farming to prevent her surroundings from becoming bushy and to save money spent on groceries.
Yusuf said she cultivated okra and soybean, which she used in preparing soups and producing milk.
She added that the practice had made food items more readily available for household use.
Also, Ms Jennifer Musa, a resident of Kagadama community, described backyard farming as beneficial, saying she had been cultivating vegetables around her home for the past three years.
Musa said the practice enabled her to access fresh vegetables while also keeping her environment green.
“I love nature and I like seeing my environment green. Apart from using the vegetables at home, I also sell some to earn money,” she said.
She advised women to embrace backyard farming to enhance food availability, reduce household expenses and promote a clean environment.
An extension agent, Sarah Yakubu, said that backyard gardening directly improves women’s economic stability by reducing household food expenses and creating independent streams of income.
She said that the practice enabled women to utilise small land for crop cultivation and other agricultural activities.
“Through backyard farming women can save money on groceries, sell surplus produce, and generate income,” he said.
