ASSESSING SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING PRODUCTION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT AS AN INDIGENOUS CLIMATE RESILIENT CROP IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Climate change is impacting the cropping system, landscape, livelihoods, and nutrition diversity of farming households and communities in Africa. Climate change adaptability and resilience are emerging as important criteria for setting national priorities for promoting indigenous crops to enhance food and nutrition security, especially of resource-poor smallholders. However, many climate resilient indigenous crops have been lost due to inappropriate policies that fail to prioritize climate resilience and nutritional diversity. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is an indigenous crop in Africa. It is tolerant to drought, poor soils, and short spells of elevated temperatures. It, therefore, offers several advantages over other legumes as a source of nutrition, food security and improved welfare in the face of climate change. The research investigated farmers’ perceptions and socioeconomic factors that influenced the cultivation and commercialization of bambara groundnut and the effect of commercialization on smallholder farmers’ welfare in two local government areas (LGAs) of Benue State, Nigeria. In all, 300 smallholder farmers were sampled through a multistage sampling technique. The method of analysis involved the estimation of a fractional regression and treatment effect models.We found that older farmers who perceived that bambara groundnut is a climate-resilient and food security crop allocated more of their total farmland to its production. The perception that bambara groundnut is a climate-resilient crop also impacted positively on the commercialization of bambara groundnut. Formal education coupled with the commercialization of bambara groundnut led to increased farmers’ welfare. We recommend that more sensitization and education should be given to farmers on the good characteristics of bambara groundnut as a climate-resilient and food security crop while they are also supported to upscale its production for commercialization purposes.