Efficiency, food security and differentiation in small-scale irrigation agriculture: Evidence from North West Nigeria

Abstract

Ambiguity over the effectiveness of agricultural intervention is more pronounced in rural areas where the majority of North West Nigeria’s poor population, and those involved in agriculture, reside. Further characterising these areas is the paucity of research on the issue of differentiation within the smallholder community. Specifically, definite classification of households based on efficiency, food security and income status remains inadequate. The study explores smallholder households’ differentials on the basis of these three phenomena, and other factors that affect smallholder typologies. Data was collected from 306 randomly selected smallholders involved in the Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project, Sokoto State, Nigeria. Smallholders’ technical efficiency and households’ Food Consumption Score (FCS) were assessed. Also, Pearson correlation analysis, a segmentation approach using cluster analysis and multinomial regression model were used for the study. The study showed that the mean efficiency level of smallholder farms was 85.9% and that the majority of the households were food insecure. It also established a significant positive relationship between efficiency, income and food security status, and some degree of class stratification among the households. Differences in household characteristics determine variation in the efficiency, food security and income of households. Farm size, farming experience and diversification were major factors influencing households’ livelihoods. Recommendations emanating from the study include an increased focus on improving human capital, sustainable intensification and livelihoods diversification.

Keywords

• smallholder
• food security
• differentiation
• efficiency
• income