women farmers in the development of primary

agriculture for food security and socio-economic

growth in Benue State. It has been observed that existing

literatures and past discussions on agricultural

development in Benue State have focused more on

projecting and promoting agriculture as a patriarchal

enterprise. Such studies for instance project largely the

role of male farmers in food and cash crop production that

has earned the state the status of "food basket of the

nation".

It examines the challenges women farmers encounter. This has denied women their position in the

scheme of things as major contributors to the nation’s

food and value chain. The idea for this study therefore

originates from the need to fill a historic knowledge gap

from this continued neglect of the productive efforts of Tiv

rural women farmers who constitutes the brain box of

primary form of agriculture in Benue State. The study

highlights the impact and changing roles of Tiv rural

women farmers in Benue State. One major challenge that

emerged from the study is the fact that most agricultural

extension services and programs targets largely male

farmers as heads of families, a situation that does not

encourage the development of rural women farmers. Due

to the fact that rural women also involved competitively

with their men counterpart in primary farming.

The women make their mark in history as serving as an antipoverty

tool for women .The inability of African economy

to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment has propelled

role of women farmers in development process. Tiv

women have contributed immensely to the development

of Benue State. There is however need to project the role

of women in economic growth and development in the

state. The study relies on the use of primary and

secondary sources of data collection and collation in the

reconstruction of this history.