FOOD INSECURITY VULNERABILITY STATUS OF FARM HOUSEHOLDS IN NIGER- DELTA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the vulnerability of farm households in Niger Delta to food insecurity. Four States were randomly selected from the region. Primary data were collected from 384 crop farmers, stratified into beneficiaries and non beneficiaries of microcredit schemes using multi-stage sampling technique. The data were analyzed using Vulnerability Index Analysis. The vulnerability indicators assessed in this study were: education, farm size, land ownership status of the farmer, access to remittance, household size, farm income, age of household head, asset value, dependent relatives and co-operative membership. Results show a high level of vulnerability among non- beneficiary households (0.55) and low level of vulnerability among beneficiary households (0.47). Based on the result, the study recommended among others, that the scope of microcredit should be expanded and the volume increased to reduce farmers’ vulnerability to food insecurity in the study area.

Keywords

• Food
• Households
• Insecurity
• Niger-Delta
• Vulnerability