Farm Management and Sustainable Food Security in Benue State-Nigeria
Sr No:
1
Page No:
1-10
Language:
English
Licence:
CC BY-NC 4.0
Authors:
Dr. Sunday Shiebee IORGEMA*, & Lordson Ohi ILEABUMAH
Published Date:
2026-08-02
Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of farm management practices on sustainable food security in Benue State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted to guide the study. The target population comprised 1,000,000 farmers across the three senatorial zones of Benue State, from which a sample size of 500 respondents was drawn using multistage, purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed to capture respondents’ practices in farm planning, farm technology usage, and farm disease management. The instrument was validated by experts, and reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha with acceptable indices for all variables. Out of the 500 questionnaires administered, only 392 were retrieved for analysis. Data analysis was carried out using multiple linear regression analysis via SPSS version 25. Findings revealed that farm planning, farm technology, and farm disease management each had a statistically significant positive effect on sustainable food security. Among these, farm technology exerted the greatest influence (β = 0.417, p = 0.000), followed by farm disease management (β = 0.319, p = 0.000), and farm planning (β = 0.174, p = 0.000). These results underscore the importance of integrated and technologically driven farm management strategies in enhancing long-term food availability, accessibility, and stability in the region. The study concludes that sustainable food security in Benue State can be significantly improved through strategic farm planning, deployment of modern agricultural technologies, and effective management of farm-related diseases. Accordingly, it is recommended that policymakers promote farmer training on planning and record-keeping, increase access to subsidized modern farm technologies, and invest in extension services focused on disease prevention and management.
Keywords:
Farm management, sustainable food security, farm planning, farm technology, disease management, Benue State, Nigeria, Farm Systems Theory