ABSTRACT

The study examined the contributions of homestead vegetable farms to food security in Ikwuano local government area of Abia state, Nigeria. Specifically, the study profiled profitability of homestead vegetable farms, contribution to household income and garden income in relation to household expenditure on food. The study used primary data which was collected from one hundred and twenty (120) respondent from each of the three clans in Ikwuano local government area. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and gross margin analysis. The analysis of the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents revealed that homestead vegetable farmers were more of people above 50 years of each. Majority of the homestead vegetable farmers has one form of formal education or the other. The study area is dominated by respondents with large house holdings in terms of household size. Out of the 120 respondent used for the study, majority (75.00 percent) had their source of credit from personal savings. The benefit cost ratio (CR) was #1.00 to #3.05 which implies that. vegetable production is highly profitable. The homestead vegetable farms make a total contribution of 66.09 percent to household income in the study area. Majority (90.34 percent) of the respondents in the study area spends less than #40,000 monthly on food. It is recommended that programFnes that could encourage appropriate use of scarce resources such as land, capital etc should be introduced. Grants and special intervention targeted at improving rural farm output should be made available to the farmers to enable them make much capital investments in their homestead. Rural farmers in Ikwuano local government area should practice vegetable gardening to make it possible to achieve self sufficiency and food security in the area.