EFFECTS OF HERDSMEN ACTIVITIES ON ARABLE CROP PRODUCTION IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study identified the effects of herdsmen activities on arable crop production in Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study ascertained the socio-economic characteristics of arable crop farmers in Edo state; identified herdsmen’ activities that affect arable crop production in the state; the coping strategies adopted by the arable crop farmers in managing the herdsmen activities; determined the difference between the income in the year without attack (2017) and the year with protracted attack (2018); and examined the attitude of farmers towards agriculture after herdsmen activities. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select one hundred and twenty-five (125) respondents. A well-structured and validated interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, percentage with inferential statistics such as chi-square and t-test. The study revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 42 years, mean household size was six persons while 52% of the respondents were female. The educational level among the respondents is moderate, 80% of the respondents belong to no cooperative society, while the respondents had more experience in farming (23.5 years), with mean farm size of 3.5 hectares of land. Shooting of Innocent citizen by herdsman (), grazing on food crops by their animals (), raping of women on the farm, theft of farm produce to feed themselves (), Herdsmen causing bush fire () and harvesting crops to feed themselves () were the Herdsmen activities between Herdsmen and Food Crop Farmers. Result of Chi-square analysis revealed that there was significant relationship between sex (X 2 = 4.93, p=0.03), household size (X 2 = 4.81, p=0.03) and problem- oriented coping strategy. Educational level (X 2 =15.08, p=0.00), age (X 2 = 9.29, p=0.00) and farming experience (X 2 = 5.00, p=0.02) were significant with emotion- oriented coping strategy while educational level (X 2 = 21.98, p=0.00) and farming experience (X 2 = 4.35, p=0.04) were also significant with social support coping strategy. There was significant difference between the respondents’ revenue before and after herdsmen’ activities (t= 7.54, p=0.00). The study concluded that the intrusion of cattle herders into crop farms have a significant effect on the crop farmer’s output/income. Also the study recommended that stable and conformation security operative should be provided in the communities to protect herders against attack from farmers, and to protect farmers agricultural produces from been destroyed by herdsmen cattle