The Impact of Rural-Urban Migration on Poultry Production in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to reveal the impact of rural-urban migration on broiler production in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 795 household heads and farmers/managers/supervisors of 25 selected broiler farms in the study area. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Able bodied young men constituted most of the rural-urban migrants. All the broiler farmers visited except 5 experienced labour shortage. Consequent upon labour shortage, most of the farms could not stock birds up to full capacity of their pens. This translated into foregone revenue for the poultry farms. Rural-urban migration significantly and positively correlated with shortage of labour, under stocking and foregone revenue. It was recommended that the States governments in the Niger Delta Region should embark on infrastructural development for the rural areas and encourage farmers to adopt mechanized/automated poultry farming operations in collaboration with donor agencies so as to make provision for lost labour in the broiler farming.