ASSESSMENT OF POVERTY STATUS OF CASSAVA COOPERATIVE FARMERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the poverty status of cassava cooperative farmers in South-South Nigeria, utilizing a multi-stage sampling technique to select 300 members from Delta, Edo, and Akwa Ibom states. The majority of members fall within the 41-60 age range, which accounts for 66% of the total membership. This suggests that middle-aged and older individuals are more likely to participate in cassava cooperatives. There was also a higher representation of female members (58.33%) compared to male members (41.67%). However, majority (75.67%) of the cassava cooperative members were married while 2% were divorced, 10.33% were separated/divorced, and 12% were widowed. Furthermore, majority (51.67%) of the farmers had been in a cooperative for 1-5 years. The result shows that 46.33% of households consist of 1-4 members and most (82%) of the members identify cassava farming as their primary occupation. The relative poverty line was determined based on consumption expenditure, and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) index was employed to assess poverty status. The results indicated that over one-third of members lived below the relative poverty line of ₦882.29, although the depth (8.52%) and severity (3.13%) of poverty were relatively low. Based on these findings, the study recommends targeted poverty reduction programs, strengthening cooperative structures, enhancing access to finance, promoting value addition, investing in infrastructure, empowering women and youth, and further research to develop effective poverty alleviation strategies.