ABSTRACT

 The study was set out to analyse the determinants of food security among the cocoa producing households in Abia state, Nigeria. The specific objectives are: examine the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents in the study area; estimate the effects of their income on the welfare ofthe farmers in the study area; determine the food security status of the households; estimate the determinants of food security among the cocoa producing households in the study area; and make recommendations based on the findings. Purposive and random sampling technique was adopted in the study. Three local government areas where cocoa production is predominant were chosen for the study. These local government areas are Bende, Ikwuano and Umuahia North local government areas. Thirty producing households were then'randomly selected from each ofthese local government areas, bringing it to ninety respondents. Objectives were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, etc., correlation coefficient, food security index formula and logistic regression model. Among the respondents sampled, 68.89 percent ofthe respondents were males, while 31.11 percent were females. The result also showed that 66.67 percent of the respondents were married, while the remaining 33.333 percent were single. Among the respondents, those between the ages of 50-59 years were 44.44 percent and are in majority, while those between the ages of 20- 29 years were 21.11 percent and least. The respondents whose household size was between 4 -7 persons accounted for 72.22 percent were the majority. However, those with household size between 8-11 persons accounted for 3.33 percent were the smallest group. Majority ofthe respondents indicated that 53.33 percent had their SSCE certificate, implying that they had spent 12 years in school. Those who had acquired either the Ordinary National Diploma or National Certificate ofEducation were 2.22 percent. Majority of the respondents had acquired reasonable experience to run their businesses effectively, given that only about 6.67 percent had spent less than three years. Those whose monthly income ranged from N60,000.00- N99,000.00 recorded 47.78 percent. Those whose monthly income was between N20,000.00- N59,000.00 was 33.33 percent, N100,000.00 and above werel4.44 percent. Those whose monthly income were less than 20,000.00 monthly accounted for 4.44 percent. The result showed a positive relationship between income and welfare of cocoa producing households in Abia state, Nigeria. The results revealed that majority ofthe respondents are food insecure. This is exemplified by the fact that 61.11 percent ofthe households are food insecure were 61.11 percent while food secure households constituted about 38.89 percent. From the logit regression results, age of the farmer, educational attainment ofthe household head, household size, income level, dependency ratio and farmers membership of a social group were all significant. They however possessed different signs at either 1 or 5 percent probability level. The study recommends that farmers should be encouraged by offering them good prices for their products as well as addition ofvalue to the product. Government on its part should try to reduce and stabilize the prices offood items. This will in no small way make them available to the people, among other things