RURAL POVERTY AND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN APA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NIGERIA

1. RURAL POVERTY AND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN APA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NIGERIA Dr(Mrs) ogunleye-Adetona, C.I. Department of Geography of Regional Planning University of Cape Coast, Ghana Email:adeogunleye2005@yahoo.com

2. INTRODUCTION • Agricultural practice which is broadly classified into subsistence and commercial farming is a process of farming in which farmer choose a particular type of farming practice. • The type of agricultural practice chosen by an individual however depend not only the geographical location which is a function of the culture, education, technology and income of the people. • The farmers who make use of crude implements like hoes and cutlasses end up with low farm output, low income and eventually leading to poverty.

3. Introduction Continues • POVERTY • The concept of poverty is easier to describe than defining because of its complexity and variability from place to place. • International encyclopedia of economics defined poverty as a condition faced by families and individuals that fail to receive sufficient income to provide for their basic needs, in other words, a condition of material deprivation (Okojie et al, 1999). • Poverty can either as absolute , relative or both. • Absolute poverty can be applied at all time in the societies such as the level of income necessary for bare subsistence • Relative poverty relates to the living standard of the poor to the standards that prevail elsewhere in the society in which they live (Sanyal, 1991; Schubest, 1994). • Related to the definition of poverty is the measurement of poverty by asking questions like: who is poor? How many people are poor? And where the poor are located?

4. Intro. Cont.(Poverty Defined) • A comprehensive analysis of poverty in Nigeria and other developing countries cannot be achieved without making reference to the vicious cycle of poverty. • The phrase “vicious cycle of poverty” is often used to explain why underdeveloped/developing countries are economically backward or poor (Okunmadewa, 2001). A country is therefore poor because there is small capacity individuals to save because of low level of real income and inability of the country to accumulate capital which eventually lead to a circle of poverty. • The vicious cycle of poverty is best explained by a situation in which a person is poor and deprived from having what he/she ought to have (Okunmadewa, 2001).

5. Intro. Cont.(Rural Poor) • Poverty exists in all the economies of the world and level of poverty vary from one place to another. Poverty is especially severe in rural areas where social services and infrastructure are limited or non-existent. • The great majorities of those who live in rural areas are poor and depend on agriculture for food and income. For instance about 90% of Nigeria’s food is produced by small scale farmers cultivating tiny plots of land depending on rainfall rather than irrigation systems. • Surveys across the country shows that both male and female farmers cultivate less than 1ha per household. Also a high proportion of rural people suffer from malnutrition and other diseases related to poor nutrition (World Bank, 1996). • Despite its plentiful resources and oil wealth, poverty is widespread in Nigeria. Over 70% of the population is classified as poor, with 35% living in absolute poverty. The situation continued to deteriorate since the late 1990s, to the extent that the country is now considered one of the 20 poorest countries in the world.

6. Intro. Cont. • NGERIA’S RURAL POOR • Rural poverty tends to be unevenly distributed across Nigeria. In fact, in some zones, the poverty situation threatens to worsen considerably .Such zones can be found in the northern area of the country especially those bordering Niger Republic which is arid and easily become relatively useless for agriculture, environmentally damage. • Nigeria’s rural road network is one of the least developed in sub-Saharan Africa and most of the rural roads become inaccessible during the rainy seasons. • Crop yields are low because farmers lack these inputs like fertilizer especially in rural areas where farmers have to cope with diminishing soil fertility. • Many farmers have access only to small parcels of land for cultivation and this reduced profitability of producing food crops for the markets.

7. Intro. Cont. • Famariyo (1970) however discovered that an efficient agricultural practice with full capacity production is hampered especially in rural areas because of the inadequate design programmes and policies that will promote educational services in the rural area. • The decline in agricultural production in the rural areas is as a result of the inadequate incentives given by government to small scale or peasant farmers who produce nothing less than 80% of the nation’s total agricultural product. • The Nigerian Government however attempted at reducing rural poverty through the various policies and programmes to stimulate and enhance economic growth, productivity and alleviate poverty as far as back as 1970 to date. Example of such programmes include • the operation feed the nation (OFN) 1976, • the directorate of food, Road and Rural Infrastructural (NFRRI) 1986, • the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) 2003, • the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) 2001.

8. Statement of Research Problem. • The socio-economic activities, living standard and agricultural practices in Apa Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria is faced with Low level of education, Land tenure problem, Inadequate farm inputs, Low pricing of the product, Inadequate transportation, Inadequate finance, Inadequate basic amenities

9. Objective • OBJECTIVES • The following objectives will pursue in order to achieve the aim of this research. • identify the socio-economic conditions of the people in the study area, • highlight the poverty indicators of the people in the study area, • examine the relationship between rural poverty and agricultural practices in the study and • evaluate that poverty alleviation programmes on the people in the study area • Findings from these objectives will be use to make suggests on how to improve the rural economy and sustain the environment for future generation.

10. The Study Area • The Local Government is bounded in the North by Agatu Local Government Area in the East by Gwe-West Local Government, in the South by Otukpo Local Government and in the West by Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State. • Apa LGA has eighteen (18) council wards, • The people of Apa LGA are mainly farmers because the land is arable for agricultural practices especially among the Igoro, Opanda, Okpakachi, Edikwu to mention a few. • The climate of Apa LGA like other parts of Benue state is condition favours farming activities year rounds. Dry season farming is practices shifting to a wetter soil always located close to river or stream valley (Gbadeyan, 1992). • Farming constitutes the major socio-economic activities of Apa LGA people, major crops grown can be grouped into two classes of cereal and tubers. The study area has some settlements which serve as market center such as Ugbokpo, Igoro, Ofoke, IgaOkpaya etc.

11. Significance of the Study • Agricultural system is by far the most widespread form of human activities and it is more basic than any industry. Even in the “technological age” agricultural in one way or the other provides livelihood for more than three quarter (3/4) of human race. • A nation’s wealth is said to be in the potential of its people. If the people’s standard of living is improved through increased production of food increased income, job satisfaction (agriculture) then definitely development of rural areas will be facilitated. • This situation will discourage rural-urban migration.

12. Literature Review • According to Coast et al (1971) poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon which is not only exhibited item of monetary income. • Also real income and wealth depends not only on what one can receive but also on what one can do with such income and wealth as well as those goods which we do not purchase directly such as fresh air, water supply and educational system.

13. Literature Review Cont. • Poverty is also defined geographically as being relative in both time and space. This therefore connotes that no single standard measure of poverty is adopted at all time or in all places (Max well 1989). This is why studies on poverty and inequalities within any geographical areas are always examined using numerous variables that measure poverty. These variables include illiteracy, per capital income, poor wealth, poor shelter, access to safe water, sub-standard housing, limiting earning potentials which are adopting for the study. • The United Nation (UN 1085) basically classified the causes of rural poverty under socio-economic, technological and political reasons based on global resolution. Ohadike (1986) explained that, socio-economic factors of age, sex, demographic, low level of education, marriage, low level of income, family size have effect on the poverty.

14. Literature Review Cont. • Send (1978) however suggest that an alternative and more objective conception might be found in relative deprivation and identified three forms of poverty as follows. • Physiological deprivation • ii) Social deprivation • iii) Human deprivation • Physiological deprivation is concerned with inadequate access to basic needs basically food and insufficient provision of basic needs e.g. health, education etc. Social deprivation refers to deprivation from social activities such as norms, value etc. Human deprivation is the denial of rights and freedom as well as the lack of dignity self respect, security and justice.

15. Literature Review Cont. • MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ERADICATE POVERTY • Government has put several efforts in place to ensure the eradicating rural poverty in Nigeria by introducing the rural development approach. • This approach assumes that poverty is more prevalent in rural areas due to lack or inadequate presence of infrastructures. • The focus is on addressing what is considers the origins of poverty by providing social amenities and the stimulation of income-generating activities for the rural dwellers. • This approach could not however identify the real poor because poverty is pervasive in the rural area. • Other programmes such as Rural Banking scheme 1975 and Agricultural credit Guaranty scheme 1978 has in one way or the other impacts on poverty reduction in Nigeria.

16. Literature Review Cont. • Poverty is a scourge that has refused to leave Nigeria despite the various efforts of the federal government. The myriad of problems surrounding the proper execution of poverty alleviation projects has made the anticipated results of identified strategies elusive. This is probably because the existence of poverty is a function of poor education, low level of technology and mismanagement of the available resources.

17. Methodology • This research work covered the whole of Apa Local Government Area in Benue State. • The data for this research project were gathered from both the primary and secondary data. The bulk of data gotten for this research work was through primary data • Nine (9) villages were randomly from each council wards in the Local Government Area. Thirty three people were therefore interviewed in each of the selected villages and this total of 306 questionnaires format. • Simple percentage, tabulations, uses of figure, literal percentage, bar-graph, pie-charts and chi-square are used. • Chi-square also used to find out if there is any significant difference among other variables

18. Summary of Findings • It was observed that majority(59.3%) of the people of the rural dwellers in Apa Local Government Area are farmers and they are subjected to abject poverty. • Erratic supply of electricity and poor accessibility to safe drinking water supply is the order of the day study area. For example about 66.7% of the total respondents do not have access to electricity in their homes. • Most of them (91.7%) used crude implements as the major farm tools. • It was also gathered that majority (86%) of the farmers practiced subsistence farming a function of poor income, lack of loan and incentive from government. • The farmers complained generally about inadequate land for farming. And about 33.3% of the total respondents still complained of lack of land and soil infertility.

19. Policy Implication of Findings • The most permanent and deepest aim of social policies therefore is to develop and invests in human being themselves. • This is the only way to break the vicious cycle of poverty and attack the underlying factors which cause it to be transmitted from generation to generations. • Since the poor are mostly illiterate and unskilled, an important way of extending their asset is to develop their human resources.

20. Policy Implication of Findings cont. • The following policy issues are suggested for a better rural development programmes; • Mass adult education programme established and encouraged • The state and local government bodies provide pipe borne water and bore holes to improve water supply to aid mechanized farming. • The various rural settlements in the study area should be provided with infrastructural facilities that will attract the youth and investor. • Government should provide subsidized loans/funds to the farmers for them to be able to purchase planting materials, fertilizers, drugs and other equipment. • Extension offices should be established in each of the villages • The on- going poverty alleviation programme set-up by the federal government should give more attention to the rural farmers since large proportion of those in them are yet to benefit from it.

21. Conclusions. • From the forgoing, it is obvious that there is a need for a comprehensive and adequate policy formation to arrest the situation. • There is therefore a need for check list rather than blue print of adaptable technical and socio-economic means of which have been provided by this empirical study of possible option towards alleviating rural poverty and allocating production and recent agricultural practices. • Such a policy will undoubtedly solve some of the problems experienced in the farming activities and sustain the environment for future generation.