Impact Of HIV/AIDS On Agriculture In Abia State, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The spread of HIV/AIDS to rural areas has assumed alarming dimension and this poses a lot of concern to policy makers due to its relevance to agricultural development and food security in Nigeria. The study was conducted to access the impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture in Abia state, Nigeria. Data were collected from 120 households spread across 6 local government areas collected for a period of 3 months covering households socioeconomic characteristics, diseases suffered by households due to HIV/AIDS infection, vulnerability indicators, efficiency and inefficiency variables, etc. The data shows that even as some farmers have not gone for HIV test, 13.4, 8.96, 5.22%, 7.14%, 7.5% and 7.87% of farmers in Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Umuahia North, Isialangwa North, Ohafia, Arochukwu and combinations of all local governments of the household members are positive to HIV respectively. Income generated by households in combination of all local governments, CAL reduced by 42.3% even as food intake, effective resting time, working hour and children's education reduced by 11.4%, 16.9%, 15%, 12.3% respectively. Social exclusion, disease outbreak, and inability to sell farm produce increased by 39.3, 24.8, and 53.3% respectively. Regression analysis shows that age, primary occupation, marital status and household' size significantly lead to reduction in vulnerability. Inefficiency significantly increased with HIV infection, market days lost, and distance from market, while membership of cooperative, access to credit and intensification decreased it. Over all economic efficiency for HIV positive farmers is 49.22% against 73% for HW negative farmers. The study among other things recommended, that Nigerian youths should avoid engaging in those dangerous acts like having multiple sex partners that exposes them to HIV/AIDS.