ANALYSIS OF SORGHUM PRODUCTION AND ITS EFFECT ON FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN KANO STATE, NIGERI
ANALYSIS OF SORGHUM PRODUCTION AND ITS EFFECT ON FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN KANO STATE, NIGERI
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Date
2021
Authors
OGUNDEJI, Dorcas Oluwatoyin
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Abstract
The study analyzed the effect of sorghum production on household food security status of
smallholder farmers in Kano State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from 2019 cropping
season with the aid of structured questionnaire. Random sampling was used to select 361
sorghum farmers. The result revealed that the mean age of the farmers was 46 years, about 95
percent were married and 85 percent of the farmers were literate. The mean farming experience
in the study area was 21 years. The technical efficiency of sorghum production variables that
were positively signed and significant were farm size (0.688), seed (0.204), labour and fertilizer
(0.311) at 1 percent level of probability. For the technical inefficiency variables of sorghum
production, membership of cooperative (-0.205) was negatively signed and significant at 10
percent level of probability. The allocative efficiency of sorghum production variables was
positively signed and significant at 1 percent level of probability except cost of agrochemical
which was not significant. For the allocative inefficiency variables that were positive and
significant for sorghum production were membership of cooperative (0.005) and extension
contact (0.017) at 10 percent and 5 percent level of probability respectively, education and
farming experience were negatively signed and significant at 1 percent level of probability.
Sorghum production is profitable with a return of 85 kobo for every one Naira invested in the production. The result revealed that about 69 percent of the farmers were food secured while 31
percent were food insecure. The food security indices for the food secured and insecure households were found to be 2.32 and 0.62. The results of the Logistic regression model revealed that sorghum production, adjusted household size, farming experience, membership of cooperative, extension contact and farm size influences an household to be food secured. The
result indicated that the most widely used strategies by the farming households were eating less preferred meals, skipping of meals, borrow food/money from friends/relatives, work for money/food, consumption of seed stock for next year and migration to cities. Major constraints
ranked by sorghum farmers from the most important were inadequate fertilizer, inadequate fund, and lack of access to improved seeds among others. It was concluded that sorghum production
contributes to households being food secured despite the constraints faced. The study, therefore, recommended that farmers should buy fertilizers in group to reduce transport and other costs and they should develop saving schemes among themselves so as to have enough capital for farming
activities
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA