Housing Condition, Consumption Expenditure and Poverty Status of Female Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study analyzed housing condition, consumption expenditure and poverty status of female farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling procedure was used to select areas and respondents for this study. A random sampling of 18 female farmers was performed in 12 communities among 6 Local Government Areas studied to get 216 respondents. Data were obtained from primary source using a well-structured questionnaire issued to the respondents. Generated data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Results showed that majority (57.41%) of the respondents lived in houses built by their husbands; most of them (78.24%) lived in bungalows. Majority lived in houses built with cemented floor (74.54%), with cemented walls (82.87%), and corrugated iron roofing sheets (75.46%). Food stuff (26.90%), education (22.97%), clothing and shelter (18.02%), health (15.57%), among others engulfed most of their monthly expenditure. Many (48.61%) attested to having three square meals on daily bases. The MPCE per person was estimates as N 577.259, poverty line was N 384.84 and mean household expenditure N 76.968. About 70.37% of the female farmers were poor. Access to credit (5.0%), Educational level (1.0%), farm income (5.0%) and non-farm income (10.0%) negatively influenced their poverty status, while household expenses (1.0%) was in the positive direction. It is therefore recommended that since most of these respondents were poor, poverty alleviation strategies such as implementation of a set of technical, social, cultural and institutional measures with the aim of improving the socio-economic conditions of the farmers are needed.
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