Economic Analysis of Sickness and Labour Productivity among Cocoa Farmers in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State

A high proportion of people suffer from malnutrition and other diseases related to poor nutrition and the rural people are worst hit by sicknesses resulting from poor nutrition. Therefore, this research work examined effects of sickness on labour productivity among crop farmers in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. A total number of one hundred and forty two farmers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analytical procedure. The descriptive analysis indicated that farmers in the study area literarily have no other source of income (59.86%). They are mostly aged males (65.49%) who have little or no education but a long year of experience in farming (more than 90% have more than ten years experience). Malaria is discovered to be the main cause of the prevailing sickness in the area with about 52% victims affected by it. The regression analysis revealed that the type of toilet used by the farmers, distance of toilet from homestead, working hours per day, diversification extent of food consumed and number of days farmers fell sick during cropping season are major influencing factors. The effects of sickness on labour productivity revealed that land area cultivated by farmers and weight of seeds planted directly affect labour productivity while proportion of days lost by farmers due to sickness and educational qualification have negative effects. It is therefore, recommended that youths should be encouraged to venture into agriculture and the provisions of rural community health services should be strengthened. Keywords: Sickness, days, labour, productivity and cocoa farmers