Food Security Situations among Smallholder Farmers under Kogi Accelerated Rice Production Programme: A USDA Approach

Abstract

The study analysed food security status of smallholder farmers under Kogi accelerated rice production program: a USDA approach. Primary data collected through multistage sampling procedure were obtained from 216 irrigated rice farmers randomly selected using the card method. Descriptive statistics and United State Development Agency (USDA) approach were employed. The results showed the mean age of household heads was 42 years, average household size of 4, and mean farming experience of 8 years. The USDA method categorizes households using a constructed food security scale. The result also revealed that the marginal effect of 0.477 shows that one extra year of education increases the probability of being food secured by 47.7%. Household size and household’s dependency ratio were found to be negative and statistically significant at p<0.1 and p<0.05 level of probability which signified an inverse relationship with household food security. Furthermore, an additional increase in the number of non-working member of household increases the food requirement of households thereby reducing the probability of food security. Income had positive influence on food security status and significant at p<0.10 level. The most widely used coping strategies by the farmers under Kogi Accelerated Rice Production Programme in the state are purchased food on credit, restricted consumption of adults to allow more for children, reduced numbers of meal per day, sold household assets, begging and borrowing.