EFFECT OF CASSAVA PRODUCTION ON RURAL HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY STATUS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Malnutrition is a direct result of inadequate physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Where it exists, economic growth and development of an agrarian country such as Nigeria is hampered because the rural households are the main drivers of the economy in term of food and livestock production. Evidence of food insecurity is a common phenomenon among rural households in Nigeria. Hence, this study investigated the role cassava production has played in improving the food security status of the rural households in Kwara, State, Nigeria. Survey questionnaires were used to elicit primary data from 120 respondents and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logit and Likert attitudinal scale (LAS) models. The result of the analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of the households revealed a high illiteracy level, large household size with the average household’s monthly income of less than ₦50,000.00 Household members within 15-60 years actively participated in cassava production, though there was high gender differential in the number of females’ participation in comparison to male gender. The result also revealed high incidence of food insecurity among rural households in the study area. The logistic regression result in terms of the p-values revealed that cassava output, age, marital status, household size, farm size, access to credit, farm income and off-farm income were all significant at different levels of probabilities. However, the odd ratio value revealed that cassava output, farm and off-farm income did not improve the food security status of the households. Conversely, access to credit and increase in farm size increased the odds of being food secure. The likely coping strategies employed by the households against food insecurity included diversification of income sources, reduced spending and acquisition of loan to meet basic food needs among others. It is therefore recommended that relevant agricultural policies that will enhance food security status of the households should be formulated and implemented.