Effect of Crop Farmers-Pastoralist Conflict on Crop Output in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of crop farmers-pastoralist conflict on crop output in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling methods was used to select 24 communities and 192 respondents (Crop farmers) from the study area. Descriptive statistic and regression model were used to analyse the data collected. The results showed that majority (67.23%) of the respondents were between 31 – 50 years; 70.1% of crop farmers had western education and 80.7% of the respondents were married. Furthermore, the respondents had farming experience of 7 – 20 years and above with 48.4% having less than 20 years of farming experience. The multiple regression result showed that there is a strong correlation between the effect of conflict and output/income of crop farmer. Furthermore, the result further indicated losses in monetary term of N87,875,00 arising from the loss of farm produce. The major constraints to the strategies taken by government to resolve the conflict were weakness of state institution (97.95%), slow response to crises (97.92%) and excessive use of force (police/military) in mitigating the conflicts. Conclusively, the farmers-pastoralist conflict had negative effect on crop farmers’ output/income. It was recommended that state institutions need to be pro-active enough to nip the problem of crop farmers – pastoralist conflicts in the bud, Law enforcement agencies should be alive to their constitutional roles and government should strengthen the security around farmers and herders across the country by providing necessary training and sophisticated security equipment are required to control outburst of crisis. Government should make provision for customary institution to settle crop farmers-pastoralists conflicts rather than the courts, and a joint peace and conflict resolution committee consisting of leadership of farm community and the herders be constituted to mediate among conflicting groups.