EFFECTS OF CONFLICTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND POVERTY STATUS OF IRISH POTATO FARMERS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of conflicts on food security and poverty status of Irish potato farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 225 respondents in the study area. Data for the research were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, United States food security scale, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke model, Probit regression and Ordered Logit regression model. Results showed that about 12% of respondents in the study area were food secured while 88% of the respondents were food insecure with various degrees of hunger. Majority (88.4%) of the respondents were poor and only 11.6% were non poor. Age, marital status, farm size, food expenditure, membership in cooperative and poverty status were found to be statistically significant factors at p<0.01 and p<0.05 levels of probability that affects the food security status of farmers during conflicts while level of education, farm size, labour and non-potato income were significant factors at p<0.01, p<0.05 and p<0.10 levels of probability respectively that affects the poverty status of respondents in the study area during conflicts. Also number of conflicts witnessed, household size and susceptibility to sickness were found to be statistically significant factors at p<0.01 and p<0.10 levels of probability that determine the susceptibility of respondents to conflicts. Respondents perceived and adopte d adherence to curfew, living close to security post, cutting the size of meals and participation in community policing as effective coping strategies during conflicts in Plateau State. Agricultural credit should be made available to farmers through government intervention by statutory and commercial banks at little or no interest to increase crop production output, reduce poverty and improve food security status. Security post and barracks should be cited by government in rural communities to guarantee security of life and property.