ANALYSIS OF FOOD SECURITY AND COPING STRATEGIES OF SMALLHOLDER VEGETABLE FARMERS IN KANO METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Households’ livelihood security remains an important issue in the economic development of low household income communities. The study analyzed the food security and coping strategies of smallholder vegetable farmers in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 248 vegetable farmers from three metropolitan Local Government Areas for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the socio-economic profiles of the vegetable farmers and identify the coping strategies adopted to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, while Foster-Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) model was used to estimate the food security status of the vegetable farmers in the study area. Average age of the vegetable farmers was 39 years; majority (96.4%) were married, with an average household size of 7 persons and a low level of formal education. Vegetable production only was the major livelihood practice by 70.6% of the farmers. Using an estimated mean per capita expenditure of ₦137,430 to establish the food security line, 72% of the farmers were food insecure during COVID-19. Major coping strategies practiced along the production, marketing and consumption chain included: accepting lower price, finding new markets and sales of key productive assets. The study concluded that COVID-19 negatively affected vegetable farmer’s livelihoods and marketing activities, mainly through economic losses caused by difficulties in selling produce, reduced access to inputs and labour charges. Therefore, the study recommended programs that encourage off-farm income opportunities, and value addition in vegetable production should be promoted by government, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders to reduce farmer’s vulnerability to shocks affecting a single source of income.