Optimum Farm Plan for Food Security among Smallholder Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper determined optimum farm plan for food security among smallholder farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured and validated questionnaire from 180 smallholder crops farmers in Imo State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency distribution and percentages), budgetary analysis and linear programming model. Results show that the mean age of the farmers was 41 years, mean household size was 9 persons, mean farm size was 1.25 hectares mean farming experience was 19years and mean level of education was 8.3 years. The enterprises that contributed greatly to the smallholder farmers' net return were food crops and cash crops with net returns per annum of N122666 and N116850 respectively. The profit lines as determined with the linear programming model were 6.8 and 4.9 for food crops and cash crops respectively, and this is the optimal feasible solution. [Ohajianya, D. O et al. Optimum Farm Plan for Food Security among Smallholder Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):145-148].