Sources of risk and management strategies among food crop farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

Food production decisions in Nigeria are made mainly by small-scale farmers who face a number of risks. In response, farmers engage in some risk management strategies which may have social and economic implications not only on the farming households in particular, but the entire economy. This study identified the sources of risk and the management strategies employed by the food crop farmers. A two-stagesampling procedure was used in the collection of primary data. The first stage involved a random selection of 30 farming communities from the three agroecological zones of the state’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) namely Ife-Ijesa, Osogbo and Iwo zones. The second stage involved a random selection of food crop farmers from each of the villages with probability proportionate to size of each farming community. Data from 165 respondents were used for the analysis. Primary data collected included sources of risk, other environmental factors andmanagement strategies employed. Secondary data were also obtained from Osun State Agricultural Development Programme (OSSADEP) records to complement the primary data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and composite analysis. Sources of risk in the last three years were market failure, 54.5%; price fluctuation, 46.1%; drought, 32.7%; pest and diseases attack, 33.9% and erratic rainfall, 39.4%. Majority of the food crop farmers in the study area were in the medium risk category. The mean value of 2.68 (approximately 3.0) implies that an average food crop farmer experienced up to three different sources of risk in the studyarea. Risk management strategies available to the farmers were extension services, 67.3%; access to fertilizer, 41.2%; mixed cropping/farming, 79.3%; cooperative society 54.5%, borrowing of money, 73.0% and off farm-work, 69.7%. Attention should be shifted towards protection of farmers against market failure and price distortion or fluctuations as these, among others could impair the growth potential of these farmers. Investment in irrigation projects by the government would also save thefarmers from drought and erratic rainfall while farmers are encouraged to benefit from the services of the agricultural insurance industry