EFFECTS OF RURAL YOUTH MIGRATION ON SMALL SCALE CEREAL CROP FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigates the effects of rural youth migration on small-scale cereal crops farming household, in Kwara State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total number of two hundred (200) cereal farmers. Data were collected from primary source using structured questionnaire complemented with interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive statistics such as (means, percentages and frequency distribution) and inferential statistics such as (Linear regression and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results showed that majority (94%) of cereal farmers were males with mean age of 53 years. Majority (86%) were married, while 6 persons was the mean household size. The mean years of farming experience was 29 years while 60% of the respondents were full time farmers. The mean farm size of cereal farmers was 3.9 hectares while 62.5% grow maize. Further findings showed that 69.0% accessed credit while the mean annual income was N667, 665. Further findings revealed that only (28%) had accessed to market while majority (96%) had accessed to extension services. Also, engagement in communal labour was ranked 1st as strategies militating against shortage of labour. Again the results revealed that poverty (91%) and natural disasters (89.5%) were the major push causes of youths migration in the study area while alternative sources of income during off-season (100%) and better employment opportunities and labour (99% and 99.%) respectively were the major pull causes of youths migration to cities in the study area. Moreover, the coefficients of household size (.1787633), farm size (.358364), income (- .6436331), employment opportunity (.672483), social amenities (.4318276), push factor (.2919035), access to credit (-.4319743), extension contact (-.6022112) and cooperative membership (.4087446)had significant effect on youth migration. The results of revealed that fall in standard of living (𝑋 ̅ =2.92) and low agricultural productivities with a mean value of (𝑋 ̅ =2.81) were the most perceived effect of rural youth migration on cereal production. Also, establishment of bank of agriculture in rural areas for easy access to loans (𝑋 ̅ =3.86) and establishment of agro-allied industries (𝑋 ̅ =3.78) were the major strategies to mitigate rural youth migration. The result of hypotheses showed a significant relationship between household size, farm size income, access to credit, extension contacts, cooperative membership and youth migration. Result also show there was no significant relationship between rural youth migration and cereal crop productivity of farming households. It was recommended that government at all level should empower youths through skills acquisition and entrepreneurship that will enable youths to stay in the rural area, efforts should be put in place by government and nongovernmental organization through the assistance of disaster agenciesl in order to check the incidence of flood and bush burning that push youth out of the rural areas and youths should be encouraged through provision of incentives and productive assets that will discourage them from migrating to the cities.