DETERMINANTS OF POVERTY AMONG DRY SEASON WOMEN VEGETABLE FARMERS IN KWARA STATE, NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of poverty among 120 representative dry season women vegetable farmers in Kwara state, North Central Nigeria using logistic regression model. The poverty status of the dry season women vegetable farmers were also profiled using the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke, (1984) weighted poverty indices. The results of the descriptive statistics show that 30% of the women vegetable farmers have no formal education. The FGT indices indicate that 36% of the women are poor. The results of the logistic regression model reveal membership of cooperative society, type of irrigation system, presence of other sources of income, size of farm land and farming experience as the major determinants of poverty among the women vegetable farmers in the study area. It was suggested that women vegetable farmers in the study area should endeavour to be members of cooperative societies in the state as there are benefits derivable from such association. Cooperative societies could also be harnessed by government to make meaningful improvement in vegetable production and by extension welfare of the women vegetable farmers in the state.