AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CATTLE REARER’S ACTIVITIES ON CROP FARMERS IN KOGI STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study was designed to assess the economic effect of cattle rearers activities on crop farmers in Kogi State. Incidentally, the agricultural sector in Nigeria, particularly in Kogi State, has not been doing so well. Output has failed to keep pace with the rising population pressure. Similar studies have also been carried out on Fulani herdsmen but none addressed the economic effects of  cattle rearers activities on  crop farms in Kogi State, hence the existence of the knowledge gap which this study hope to fill. This and other economic issues was  what  this  study  addressed.  In  carrying  out  the  study,  survey  research  design  was adopted. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. One local government area (LGA) was selected purposively from each of the four agricultural zone in the state based on its predominance in farmer-header conflict. In the second stage, from each of the four LGA, four villages were purposively selected, this gave a total of 16 villages. For a proportionate sampling, the third stage was a random selection of 160 farmers, consisting of 50 farmers each from Dekina and Ibaji, and 30 farmers each from Kaba/Bunu and Adavi respectively. This was because from the reconnaissance survey carried out, there were more crop farmers in Ibaji and Dekina than in Kaba/Bunu and Adavi.  Primary data were generated by using a set of structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by three experts from the Department of Agricultural Economics, university of Nigeria, Nsukka. And test of reliability was carried out using split-half method in which a reliability coefficient of

0.83 was obtained. Data generated were analysed with multiple regression analysis. Some results were presented using descriptive statistics. From the data analysed, the study found that Seventy percent of the respondents opined that destruction of crops (mean=3.83),competition  for  land  (mean  =  3.60),indiscriminate  bush  burning(mean  =

3.48),stray cattle into crop farms(mean = 3.45)  disregard for traditional authorities (mean =

3.41),contamination of streams (mean = 3.34) and sexual harassment of women by herdsmen

(mean = 2.76) were the main reason for farmer-header conflict while loss of land (mean =

3.66), loss of crops (mean = 3.65), loss of properties (mean = 3.53),reduction in output

(mean = 3.53), scarcity of food items (mean = 3.40), loss of produce in storage (mean =

3.37) and inability to repay loan (mean = 3.32) were the major agricultural losses incurred by the farmers. Similarly, level of education (p<0.01) positively affected farmers income while factors such as fear of going to farm as a result of conflict (p<0.05), size of crop farm lost to conflict (p<0.01), uncontrolled grazing (p<0.05), loss of crops (p<0.05) and female sexual harassment (p<0.05) were inversely related to farmers income. Eighty percent of the respondents used compensation from State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) as the most viable form of coping strategy. Similarly, 70% of farmers used assistance from relations to ameliorate the effects of conflict, while acceptance of conflict situation as an act of fate was found to be the most (70%) commonly used emotion-oriented coping strategy by the crop farmers.   The major strategies for resolving conflict include compensation (mean =3.60), peaceful resolution (mean = 3.53), and verbal warning (mean = 3.35) through traditional leaders (mean = 3.61), farmers association (mean = 3.35), police (mean = 2.26) and law court (mean = 2.17).

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         Background of the study

The  Agricultural  sector  has  always  been  an  important  component  of  Nigerian economy with over 70% of the population engaged in agriculture and agriculture related activities (Obasi & Agu, 2000). Crop and livestock agriculture is important in the life of most Nigerians as 50% to 80% of Nigerians are involved in crop, livestock or crop and livestock agriculture (Powell & Williams 1995). Nigeria agricultural policy places the small scale farmers  in  central  focus.  This  is  because,  the  nation‘s  agriculture  have  always  been dominated by the small scale farmers who represent a substantial proportion of the total population and produce about 90-95 % of the total agricultural output in the country (Salau,

2013). Prior to the advent of the oil boom, Nigeria was noted for her high  production performance in terms of food and cash crops, as well as the supply of most industrial raw materials, which was generally the product of our small scale farmers (Ogieve, 2003).

Agriculture provides primary means of employment for Nigeria and accounts for more than one third of total gross domestic product (GDP) and labour force (Olaoye, 1999). More than 70% of the working adult populations in Nigeria are employed in the agricultural sector directly or indirectly (Ogunwole, Bello &  Owonubi, 2004). Under the right conditions, increase in agricultural productivity causes the income of both small and large farmers to increase and generate employment opportunities (Ogen, 2007). With agriculture embracing generally cultivation of crops or rearing of domesticated animals, agriculture can also be categorized as crop-based farming systems and animal-based systems. Consequently livelihood is attached to either of the two categories.

The cattle rearers, predominantly Fulanis falls into the animal-based system, they indisputably represent a significant component of the Nigerian economy. They constitute the major breeders of cattle, the main source of meat, the most available and cheap source of animal proteins consumed by Nigerians. They own over 90% of the nation‘s livestock population which accounts for one-third of agricultural GDP and 3.2% of the nation‘s GDP (Eniola,  2007).  Furthermore,  the contribution  of the Fulani  to  the local  food chain  and national food security cannot be overstressed. The Fulani, with their dominance in the Sahel region, are the best known and most numerous of all the pastoral groups in Nigeria. The traditional and unique Fulani encampment (ruga) consisting of temporary structures made of stalks, closely knit family members and livestock is the natural habitat of the orthodox Fulani settlement (Eniola, 2007).

These Fulanis move about on a daily basis with their cattle in search of water and green pastures. They are on the streets in most of our cities and can also be found operating in most remote villages in various states of the country. These Fulani tribesmen were originally found in small communities scattered across the northern fringes of Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. By their culture, tradition and occupation, they have remained an itinerant race who neither owned lands nor had any permanent abode. (Nzeh, 2015).

The fulanis care less about land ownership because they are always on the move. They simply live with their cattle wherever there is abundance of fodder and absence of tse- tse-fly, (the blood sucking insect that threatens the existence of their flocks). The Fulani‘s use to embark on seasonal migrations from the North to the South but this movement has become an all season‘s affair due to factors like desertification and climate change (Ofem & Inyang,

2014). Initially, a symbiotic relationship existed between the herdsmen and the farmers in every new community they stopped  over to  take a rest.  The host  communities,  usually farmers,  derived  organic  manure  from  cow  dungs  and  protein  from  the  beef  and  diary

products while the herdsmen relied on the farm produce for food. However, this ancient practice and many generation of coexistence have been threatened by many factors such as; population growth, advancement in technology, and climate change (Integrated Regional Information Network, 2004).

As a result, the activities of the Fulanis have led to serious farmers/herders conflict. Apart  from  the  language  and  cultural  barriers  which  usually  spots  out  the  nomads  as strangers, the audacity with which they shepherd their flocks to graze on available vegetation on their route has often attracted protests from communities. (Okoli & Atelhe, 2014).  The major cause of the conflict as observed by Haro and Dayo (2005) is that most times the Fulani herdsmen wander into the fields during growing season  while their herds eat or trample on the crops due to the herdsmen‘s lack of attention or the cattle‘s stray movement, hence tension rises. In recent years therefore, Nigeria has witnessed series of clashes arising from the activities of these pastoralists which have given rise to an unhealthy rivalry between farmers and herdsmen leading to violence, loss of lives and property. In some cases, a whole community is wiped out and those fortunate to escape have become refugees in other places.

Conflict in resource use is not uncommon and perhaps not unnatural in human ecosystems. Moore (2005) noted that conflict per se, is not bad: it is perhaps a necessity in the evolution and development of human organizations. But when conflicts degenerate to violent, destructive clashes, they become not only unhealthy but also counter-productive and progress-threatening. Nyong and Fiki 2005; Onyekuru and Marchant, 2014 pointed out that resource-related conflicts are responsible for over 12% declines in per capita food production in sub- Saharan Africa.

Conflicts between pastoralists and farmers have existed since the beginning of agriculture though an increase or decrease in intensity and frequency depends on economic, environmental and other factors. For example, increases in the herd sizes, due to improved

conditions of the cattle, compel the pastoralists to seek for more pastures beyond their limited range. Climate change has also constituted a serious threat by putting great pressures on the land and thus provoking conflicts between headers and farmers. The prevailing thinking in this regard is that, climate change gives rise to certain ecological changes and outcomes, which often precipitate conflict (Blench, 2003; Onuoha, 2007). Some of the conditions are: environmental degradation, desertification/desert encroachment, loss of wetlands, inadequacy of rainfall (droughts) and extreme climate variability and volatility (Blench, 2004; Onuoha,

2007; Olorunfemi; 2009;  & Nchi, 2013).

The aforementioned conditions interface to produce the dynamics of ecological misfortunes with far-reaching implications for the agrarian communities. For instance, the struggle for land in the semi-arid zones has caused a major migration of farmers southwards, both seasonally and permanently. Many uncultivated areas in river flood-plains are now farmed by migrants, leading to disputes with their traditional owners (Blench, 2004). With reference to the herder/farmer conflicts, Blench, observes that the ecological dynamics engendered by climate change tend to drag various land users into conflicting relations in the context of resource scarcity and want. This situation has been made worse by the claims and contestations over land ownership and/or tenure rights. Hence, as farmers take up more of the river-bank for farms, they come into conflict with the other users, especially the herders and fish-folk. The herders have been coming to the river for many years for the grass and tend to consider they have ownership rights. When they arrive and find their graze land now covered by tomatoes, they may become angry. The farmers, often desperate to feed their families in a situation where the old rain-fed systems no longer work regard the herders as dangerous and intrusive (Blench, 2004).

The relationship between climate change and farmer/herder conflicts is such that the former brings about conditions that make the latter not only possible but also more or less

compelling. As Fulani pastoralists undertake their movement to the southern part of the country due to climate change they regularly clash with farmers as herdsmen allow their cattle to enter tilled farms and eat up the crops. Altercations that follow usually end up in violence, with loss of lives and properties by both sides (Nchi, 2013). When the people‘s sources of livelihood are threatened as a consequence of the ecological vicissitudes and vagaries associated with climate change, desperate tactics are employed to ensure survival. This arguably explains the perennial pastoralist/farmer debacle in Kogi State.

Similarly, improvements  in human health  and  population have enhanced a much greater pressure on land. Since the 1980s therefore, there has been a marked expansion of cultivation  of  the  fadama  (reverine  and  valley-bottom)  areas.  This  means  that  both  the farmers and pastoralists have engaged in fierce struggles for access to such valuable lands which, more often than not, results in increased conflicts and violence. This is supported by Nweze (2005) who stated that many farmers and herders have lost their lives and herds while others have experienced dwindling productivity in their herds and crops.

The types of conflicts for survival between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in North- central  Nigeria  vary in  form  and  intensity from  one  community to  another.  Social  and economic factors  continue to  provoke violent  conflicts  among the Fulani  herdsmen  and farmers. The intensity and variations of the conflicts largely depend on the nature and type of the user groups where the herdsmen graze. These farmer-herder conflicts have constituted serious threats to the means of survival and livelihoods of farmers. The conflicts, through provocative claims over access rights to farmland and cattle routes (labi), have become ubiquitous and seem to have defied solutions (Abbas, 2009).

1.2     Statement of the problem

An important challenge facing agriculture and rural development in Nigeria is the problem associated  with  farmer-herders  conflicts.  According  to  Integrated  Regional  Information

Network (2005), over the last decade, clashes between farmers and Fulanis have increased in several parts of central Nigeria. Nigeria has witnessed series of violent communal clashes arising from the activities of the herdsmen who move about on a daily basis with their cattle in search of water and green pastures. These clashes have occurred several times in Plateau, Benue, Nassarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Edo, Delta, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Ondo, Oyo, Osun and many other states. Kogi  State has witnessed  several infiltration of herdsmen due to the conducive weather condition, absence of tse-tse fly in most part of the state and its relatively long period of rainfall for most of the year, making the state attractive to the Fulanis leading to serious farmers-herders conflict.  In some cases, due to the seriousness of farmer-herders conflicts, herdsmen were prevented from entry or forced out of some areas in the State. For instance, in 2007 they were driven out of Bassa Local Government Area after serious encounter with farmers (Okoli & Atelhe, 2014). A host of factors, most often, engineers these conflicts. This study will investigate the major causes of farmer-herder conflict in Kogi State.

Incidentally, the agricultural sector in Nigeria, particularly in Kogi State, has not been doing so well. Output has failed to keep pace with the rising population pressure. In addition, farm households have often been classified as the most poor in the society, with the level of their poverty increasing. Could the farmers-herders conflict be a contributing factor to this? This study aims to investigate the extent of agriculture losses due to the conflict and the effect of the conflict on the farmer‘s farm income.

Between 1996 to 2002, forty nine cases of farmer Fulani conflict were reported. Crops estimated at over 1 million naira were reportedly damaged (Ajuwon, 2004). This discourages the farmers and rural agricultural development, increasing frustration and impoverishment of farmers occasioned by perennial and extensive farm plot destruction and the ensuing bitter conflicts eroding the gains of agricultural and  rural development interventions. There is therefore need to explore the coping strategies adopted by the farmers to combat this conflict.

Again, the continuous farmer-herders conflict may be due to lack of inadequate institutional and government strategies towards resolving the conflict. This study also aims at X-raying the government/institutional strategies towards tackling the menace.

Previous studies such as   Nzeh, (2015) on ―The Effects of Migration by Nomadic Farmers in the Livelihoods of Rural Crop Farmers‖; Tenuche, (2009) on ―Resource conflict among farmers and Fulani herdsmen, implications for resource sustainability in Kogi State‖; Olabode, (2010) on ―Environmental Induced Conflict and Sustainable Development a Case of Fulani-Farmers‘ Conflict in Oke-Ero LGA, Kwara State‖; Kehinde, (2014) on ―Conflict Management Strategies to Reduce consequences on Livelihoods of Fulani Cattle Herders and Farmers in Kabba-Bunu, Kogi State‖, did not address the economic effects of cattle rearer‘s activities on farm households in Kogi State. Hence, the existence of the knowledge gap which this study hope to fill

The study hopes to address this research gap by providing answers to the following research questions:

i.   what are the socio-economic characteristics of farmers in Kogi State?

ii.  what are the major causes of the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers? iii. what is the extent of agricultural losses by crop farmers due to the conflict? iv. what is the effect of conflict on the farmer‘s farm income?

v.   what are the coping strategies of the farmers to cushion the effect of the conflict?

vi. what are the institutional and government strategies towards resolving the conflict?

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to assess the economic effect of cattle rearer‘s

activities on crop farmers.

The specific objectives are to;

i.   describe the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, in Kogi State;

ii.    identify and describe the major causes of the conflict between herdsmen and crop farmers in Kogi State;

iii. describe the extent of agricultural losses by crop farmers due to the conflict;

iv. determine the effect of conflict on the crop farmers farm income;

v.   describe the coping strategies adopted by the crop farmers to cushion the effect of the conflict; and

vi. describe  the  major  institutional  and  government  strategies  towards  resolving  the conflict from the farmers perspective, in Kogi State.

1.4       Research Hypotheses

Ho1: Conflict between cattle headers and crop farmers does not negatively have effect on farm income.

1.5       Justification of the Study

This study suggests policies that if adopted will curtail the differences existing between farmers and herders, subsequently leading to increased agricultural productivity and income of the farmers.

Empirical results of this research work will be beneficial to policy makers in the field of agriculture and  related  fields  in  accessing and  formulating policies  that  can  increase agricultural production. Those in the field of conflict resolution will also find the research result useful in settlement of dispute arising from the use of common resources especially by those in the rural area.

Non-governmental organizations will also find this study handful as the research will provide detailed empirical findings that exists on the needed capacities to help strengthen and stabilize institutions in order to support, influence and generate policies and practices that promote peace for increased agricultural productivity in Kogi State if adopted.

It  is  hoped  that  this  research  will  provide  information  as  reference  point  for researchers in similar field of study

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