FARMING RISKS AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN ORLU, IMO STATE

Farming risk is a security challenge that reduces the actual outcome from farmers
expected outcome. Predominant farming risk is the reason for deviations from planned
production in Imo State. Food supply gap becomes reduced if the farming risk associated
with vegetable production is reduced and the effect on output increased through this
study. A total of 152 farmers from 10 communities across three (3) local government
areas of Orlu agricultural zone were used for data analysis. Data were obtained using a
well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric
tools. Majority (98.7%) and (94.7%) of farmers planted fluted pumpkin, bitter leave
respectively in a mixed cropping pattern to withstand risk and security challenges with
96.7% and 95.4% of them adopting correct planting distances and soil fertility
amendments as copping strategies. The perceived risk intensity equation showed the
linear model as the best fit with F-statistics of 15.182, greater than its tabulated value of
4.689 at p ‹ 0.05 critical value, hence the lead equation. The model has only 5 significant
explanatory variables at p ‹ 0.05 with a co-efficient of multiple determination of 0.697,
implying that 69.7% of the total variations in perceived farming risk intensity in
vegetable production in the area were due to the included explanatory variables. Farmers
perceived risk intensity increased significantly by 0.212%, 3.60% and 0.735% with a
unit increase in farmer’s age, access to credits and household size respectively but
decrease significantly by 5.87% and 2.6X10-6% with a unit decrease in risk mitigation
measures and income at p ‹ 0.05 critical levels. Intensifying risk mitigation measures and
encouraging younger vegetable farmers in vegetable production in the area can reduce
farming risk in the area.