Adaptation Strategies of Small-Scale Farmers to Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic in Osun State, Nigeria.
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Date
2022
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Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW.
Abstract
The deadly virus COVID-19 has affected not only the health of people but also the food value
chain sector. The experience of the locked down period to curtail the spread of the virus was unexpected.
It is therefore important to understand how small-scale farmers survived the period. This study
examined the strategies employed by small-scale farmers in Osun State to adapt to the challenges
resulting from COVID-19 lock down. Specifically, the study itemized types of crops grown by smallscale
farmers, assessed the forms of challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, examined
the perceived effects of these challenges on small-scale farming activities, and investigated the
adaptation strategies employed by small-scale farmers during this time. Six communities in the local
government were selected at random and a total of one hundred and twenty farmers from the
communities were interviewed. A questionnaire was designed to collect the primary data. The data was
analysed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square tools. Results showed that COVID-19 lock down
period led to poor health status (mean=2.87), less transport available to convey farm produce
(mean=2.70), and high cost with little/no access to farm inputs such as fertilizer, chemicals and
seeds/seedlings (mean=2.62). The foremost effects of these challenges on small scale farming activities
were poor marketing of agricultural produce (mean=4.52), decrease in farmers’ income (mean=4.51),
and labour shortage (mean=4.39). The leading adaptation strategies employed by the farmers were
planting of available grains instead of seeds (mean=2.85), reduced food consumption (mean=2.83), and
the use of family labour (mean=2.80). The regression analysis showed that education (β=0.151), marital
status (β =1.173), non-farm income (β=-6.790), and years of experience (β=-0.032) were significant (at
p<0.05) factors influencing the adaptation strategies employed by the farmers. To effectively reduce the
adverse effects of unexpected lockdowns on farmers in the future, it is recommended that outlets for
necessary agricultural inputs should be made available in all farming communities
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Keywords
COVID-19, small scale farmers, food transport, family labour, access to farm inputs, Nigeria