A Socio-economic Survey of Farmers in Selected Local Government Areas of Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

A socio-economic survey of farmers’ in selected farming Local Government Areas of Borno State, Nigeria was carried out in the year 2020 in order to suggest solutions that can improve production. The selected Local Government Areas include Bayo, Biu, Kwaya-Kusar, Hawul and Shani. Structured questionnaire was designed and administered in 25 farming communities in the study area. A total of 375 household heads (farmers) were randomly selected 5 each in the 25 communities drawn from the 5 LGAs. Simple descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency distribution tables, and charts were used to analyze the data generated. The study revealed male farmers dominated the farming population (86%). 61.1% of the farmers were in the active age category (31-45yrs) and formally educated with farming as both their primary occupation and main source of income. The land tenure arrangements identified in ascending order of importance are family inheritance, individual, communal and government ownerships. Acquisition of land for farming purposes was not a problem especially to non-indigenes or by purchase or rent/hire. Cases of land disputes were few in the communities and were resolved mainly by the family/community elders. The average farm holding in the communities was 5.7 hectare per farmer which is above the national average of 2 hectares. Only 6.1% had access to loan before but most (98.7%) indicated the need to have grants and 36.8% expressed desire to have loans now. It is recommended that land tenure reform on inherited agricultural lands be undertaken with the view to sufficiently liberalize land rights. This is to suggest that government need to redefine the land use decree of 1978, so as to separate farm Lands from Lands for other uses as the land tenure affects their crop production.