THE PRACTICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN BAYELSA STATE CONSTRAINTS AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES

Abstract

The study focused on constraints and enhancement measures to urban agriculture in Bayelsa state. Six research questions were posed to guide the study while three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted

survey research design and was carried out in Bayelsa state. The population for the study was 59,079 which comprises of 59035 registered farmers and 44 extension agents in Bayelsa State. The sample for the study was 543 comprised of 499 registered farmers and 44 Extension Agents in Urban areas of Bayelsa State and was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Structured questionnaire developed by the researcher was employed as instrument for data collection. The instrument was face validated by five experts of agriculture, three from the Department of Agricultural Education, University of Nigeria, one from the Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria and one from the Department of Agricultural   Education,  Niger   Delta   University.      Cronbach  Alpha   reliability coefficient of 0.72 was obtained for the instrument. Data was collected by the researcher with the help of three research assistants. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution, percentages, mean and standard deviation for the research questions. The three null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the data analyzed, the study identified the following; 12 crops grown in urban areas of Bayelsa as well 7 crop production practices carried out in the urban areas of Bayelsa, 3 animals reared in urban area of Bayelsa and 7 animal production practices carried out in urban areas of Bayelsa state, 14 strategies adopted in the marketing of agricultural produce in urban areas of Bayelsa state, 15 benefits derived from urban agricultural activities in Bayelsa state,14 constraints to urban agricultural practices in Bayelsa state and 15 factors that could enhance the practice of urban agriculture in Bayelsa. It is therefore recommended that; Farmers should be trained on urban agricultural crop and animal production practices by extension agents so that they can reap the benefits of urban agriculture, the State Government should provide the funds and technical know-how for training/retraining of extension agents on the strategies for marketing urban agricultural produce so they can in turn train urban farmers and the Local Governments should sensitize the farmers within their jurisdiction on the benefits of urban agriculture through mass media like radios and televisions, among others.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Agriculture is a major source of income for both developed and developing countries and serves both individual and industrial needs as well as contribute to the national economic growth and development. According to Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) (2016), Nigeria has huge agricultural potential with over 84 million hectares of arable land with abundant and reliable rainfall in over two thirds of its territory. FMARD further stated that the country has some of the richest natural resources for agricultural production in the world. According to Omoroguiwo, Zuvkovic and Ademoh (2014), Nigeria has 70% of its land suitable for agriculture but only 40% is cultivated.

Nigeria’s wide range of climate variability makes it suitable to grow crops of many kinds including food and cash crops (FMARD, 2016). The authors further stated that some of the crops produced in Nigeria include; cassava, yam, coco-yam, beans, sweet potatoes, plantain, banana, rice, maize, cocoa, citrus, cotton groundnuts, oil palm, benni seed and wide varieties of fruits and vegetables. Fishing, poultry, cattle herding and lumbering also occupies a significant portion of the agricultural sector. Despite the favourable climatic condition, agriculture in Nigeria is not as productive as it should be (Omoroguiwa, Zuvkovic & Ademoh, 2014).

In the past, Nigeria used to be a major player in the global agricultural market. For instance, Olajide, Akinlabi and Tijani (2012) opined that in the 1960s, Nigeria was the largest producer of groundnuts and palm oil as well as second largest exporter of cocoa in the world. However, due to the oil boom of the 1970s, there was decline in Nigerian agricultural production and then coupled with increasing population, Nigeria became more of an importer than exporter of agricultural products (Omoroguiwa, Zuvkovic & Ademoh, 2014). In recent times, government have made

various efforts to revitalize agriculture in Nigeria. Recently, the Buhari administration according

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to FMARD (2016) came up with a vision of revitalizing agriculture which involves working with key stakeholders to build an agribusiness economy capable of delivering sustained prosperity by meeting domestic food security goals, generating exports, and supporting sustainable income and job growth. According to Asaju, Arome and Anyio (2014), many of these goals have failed due to corruption and mismanagement of funds budgeted for agriculture. As a result, Nigeria still faces a huge challenge of meeting the food need of its growing population more especially in urban areas. In the past, about 70% of the Nigerian population lived in rural areas but the percentage of rural population in Nigeria has gone from 70% to 49.7% (World Bank, 2011).

Rural-urban migration is a process of population shift from rural areas to urban areas with abundant increase in population of people living in urban areas. According to Omonigho (2013), rural-urban migration is the movement of individuals especially youths from rural areas such as villages to urban areas such as towns and cities as a result of pursuit of career opportunities. Studies have shown that reasons for rural urban migration include search for job opportunities that will improve one’s standard of living, residing in a more suitable environment, discriminatory government policies in favour of urban development, pursuit of higher education, inadequate facilities in rural areas such as electricity, pipe borne water, good and quality health care-centers, luxurious hotels, restaurants, good road network among others (Abdullahi, Shaibu-Imodagb, Mohammed, Sa’id & Idris2009; Ofuoku, 2012; Ajaero & Onokala 2013; Omonigho, 2013; Omonigho & Opafunso, 2015). Rural-urban migration has led to the increased habitation of land and space, which in turn has resulted in increased demand for food, increase in urban population which subsequently leads to food scarcity and poverty (Nyirenda & Ngwakwe, 2014). It also adds to worsen the already severe urban unemployment problems triggered by economic and physical inequality between urban and rural areas.  Omonigho, (2013) reported that the rate of rural-urban migration has ceaselessly outweighed the rate of job creation, having an overweight on the social and infrastructural amenities available in the urban areas.

Currently, more than half of the global population lives in cities. The majority of people today live in urban environments and it is estimated that future population growth will be concentrated in urban areas of less developed countries. The population living in urban areas is projected to gain 2.6 billion, growing from 3.6 billion in 2011 to 6.3 billion in 2050. (United Nations, 2012). Thus, the urban areas are expected to absorb the growing population while at the same time drawing in some of the rural population. The World Bank estimates that demand for food in urban areas will rise by 50% and for meat by 85% by 2030 while global water use will rise by 32% between 2000 and 2025 (Schneider and Gugerty, 2011). Adedeji and Ademiluyi (2009) opined that population pressure not only directly increases the demand for food, but also indirectly reduces its supply through building development, environmental degradation and marginalization of food production. Salshutz (2013) also opined that feeding people in urban areas will become more challenging without innovative solutions for growing and distributing food in these areas. Thus, it has been proposed by many that by growing food in or near urban areas, one can more effectively deliver food to people and reduce the costs of agricultural production such as transportation of agricultural products (Despommier, 2010). Hence the need for agriculture to be promoted in the urban areas

An area is considered to be urban if it is well developed with a density of human structures such as commercial buildings, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. According to a classification made by the United States Census Bureau (2010), an urban area constitutes 50,000 or more people. The author further posited that an urban area is an area in which there is a concentration of economic activities and obvious developments as well as the having sufficient number and varieties of shops and markets. Urban agriculture is the growing, processing, and distribution of food and other products through plant cultivation and seldom raising livestock in and around cities for feeding local populations (Hendrickson & Porth, 2012; Goldstein, 2011). Urban agriculture is an inclusive term that describes a myriad of activities, all of which are connected with the growing,

processing and distribution of food and food-related products in and around cities. Although vegetables and fruit are perhaps the most common foods produced through urban agriculture, the term also include animal husbandry, such as urban hens for eggs, beekeeping for honey and aquaculture for fish (Grow to Action Plan, 2012). In the context of this work, Urban agriculture refers to agricultural practices that involve the production, processing and distribution of agricultural products in urban and peri-urban areas to enhance food security and sustainable agriculture, these agricultural products could be from crop production or livestock production carried out within an individual’s compound as a form of subsistence farming or carried out on a larger scale for commercial purposes.

There are many benefits associated with urban agriculture. According to Salua and Attah (2012), urban agriculture has a high potential for improving the urban environment by using organic waste-solid wastes and waste water as inputs by improving the micro-climate and by preventing erosion and flooding through replanting bare lands.  Tixier and Bon (2006) noted that although the main function of urban food production is supplying fresh food, other functions are becoming important such as; economic functions, income generation, social functions, livelihood and community building. Inspite of the many benefits associated with urban agriculture, there are some factors that may hinder the practice of agriculture in urban areas, these factors are termed constraints.

Constraint is a limiting factor or a state of restriction (Encarta, 2009). Constraint of urban agriculture denotes a factor that limits the effects or benefits that can be derived from urban agriculture. Given that urban agriculture must, by definition, be carried out within the boundaries of urban areas, one of such hindrances could be limited extent of urban space (Martellozzo et al,

2014). Studies carried out in places such as Netherland, Cape Town, Kenya and other countries have revealed that to a large extent, availability of space and water, polluted water source and heavy concentration of metals due to industrial activities theft of crops, government tax and

environmental authorities have mired urban agricultural practices (Tixier and Bon 2006; Kirkland,

2008). These constraints may not go into extinct with the understanding that agriculture is practiced in urban areas hence it is crucial that farmers and extension agents bear in mind measures that can enhance urban agricultural practices.

A farmer is an individual who cultivates the land for crops, rears animals as well as markets agricultural produce for the benefits of man. Occasionally, farmers experience some issues which require clarification. Most times, clarification needed by farmers in response to various issues are gotten from extension agents. Extension agents are a link between Government/researchers and the farmers. Extension agents take the issues of farmers to the researchers while solutions/interventions from Government/extension agents are taken to the farmers through the extension agents. Hence, enhancing urban agriculture in Bayelsa state is of paramount importance to the farmers and extension agents.

The concept ‘enhance’ according to Encarta (2009), means to improve or add to the strength, worth, beauty or desirable quality of something. It goes further to define measure as an action taken to make something happen or to prevent something from happening. Therefore, enhancement  measures  are  actions  taken  to  improve something.  In  this  study  enhancement measures are strategies adopted by farmers to improve agricultural practices and minimize the constraints of urban agricultural practices in Bayelsa state.

Bayelsa State has huge agricultural potentials. The State has one of the most productive ecosystems in Nigeria, with an annual rainfall of approximately 140 centimetres with short dry season between November and March (FMARD, 2016). Food, tree crops and fruits such as banana, mango, plantain, cassava, sugarcane, coconut, oil palm, maize and varieties of vegetable can thrive in the State. Recently, due to the fall of oil earnings, efforts are made to promote agriculture in the state. For instance, 200 hectares of land was set aside in Ebedebiri for the starch mill project, 2500 hectares was set aside for the rice farm project in Permabiri and 26, 000 hectares set aside for the

oil palm project in Torugbeni among others. However, these efforts are majorly directed to rural areas. The promotion of agriculture in the rural areas and the neglect of agriculture in the urban areas has led to some consequences such as scarcity of agricultural produce as well as the agricultural produce that are available are very expensive. In line with this, the poorest population of the urban areas lack access to food because of unavailability and high cost. Therefore, it is necessary to direct the attention of promotion of agriculture to urban areas too, for the benefit of the urban dwellers due to the persistent record of high rate of rural-urban sprawl which results in food insecurity in the urban settlements. Hence the study sought to identify the factors that constraint urban agriculture and suggest ways that can be adopted to promote urban agriculture within Bayelsa State.

Statement of the Problem

For many decades, agriculture has undoubtedly proved itself to be essential to the survival of man on planet earth. Through agriculture, many nations gain economic growth, alleviate poverty as well as create massive employment opportunities. In most developed and developing countries, the food supply depends on agricultural activities that is concentrated in rural areas (Diao, Xinshen, Hazell, Peter & Thurlow, 2009). Nevertheless, in recent times there has been a shift of the rural population to urban areas. FAO (2010) projected that the urban population will double between

2010 and 2030. As the urban population keeps growing as a result of rural-urban migration, so is the complexity of feeding people who are removed from the actual production of food, hence, there is a short fall in food supply.

This is also true in the case of Bayelsa State. There has been constant rural-urban migration over the years. This is attributed to the discovery of crude oil in the state and the concentration of economic activities in the urban areas of the state. Increase in human population not only directly increases the demand for food, but also indirectly reduces its supply and increases the price of food. Food stuffs are imported to meet this demand and this has a major impact on the prices. The

absence of some vital nutrients in the food consumed by individuals have also resulted in mal- nutrition and obesity. Consequently, the most pressing need of the urban population is the question of the availability and accessibility of food which can be made possible through urban agriculture.

Urban agriculture plays a key role in meeting the demand for food. Evidence from literature has shown that urban agriculture adopted by developed and developing countries have potential benefits such as enabling households to grow food for consumption by utilizing family labour and they can as well sell surplus to generate funds for foods not produced by the household. Also the cost of transportation can be reduced which in turn will have a great impact in reducing the price of food leading to an increased availability and accessibility to food. Therefore, it becomes necessary to work on it to assess the benefits, challenges and enhancement of urban agriculture in the local context. However, in Bayelsa state, these benefits are not attained due to number of reasons chief among which are low number of farmers in the urban areas as well reduced quantity of land for practicing urban agriculture.

Hence, the study sought to identify the factors mitigating against urban agriculture and measures that can be adopted to abate these factors in order to meet the demand for food, provide healthy nutrition and also to increase the purchasing power of farmers in urban areas of Bayelsa State.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of the study was to determine the practice of urban agriculture in

Bayelsa State: Constraints and enhancement measures. Specifically, the study sought to determine:

1.   the crops/crop production practices carried out in urban areas of Bayelsa state.

2.   the animals/animal production practices carried out in urban areas of Bayelsa state.

3.   strategies adopted in the marketing of agricultural produce in urban areas of Bayelsa state.

4.   benefits derivable from urban agricultural activities in Bayelsa state.

5.   constraints to urban agricultural practices in Bayelsa state.

6.   measures that could enhance urban agriculture in Bayelsa state.

Significance of the Study

The significance of the study was viewed from two perspectives; theoretical and practical perspectives. Theoretically the study provided evidence to support the theory of comparative advantage propounded by David Ricardo (1817). The theory of comparative advantage states that if an economic unit specialises in producing goods where they have opportunity cost, there will be an increase in economic welfare. The concept of opportunity cost deals with the amount of goods or services that is sacrificed to produce another good or service. It implies that if it is cheaper for an economic unit to produce certain goods or services rather than importing or buying such goods or services, it is advantageous to produce such goods or service. The findings of this study provides credence to this theory as it provides guide in understanding the need of putting the resources available in an area to good use in order to promote economic growth. Hence, since the urban areas are more densely populated, they provide a strong labour resource advantage for the production of crops and livestock.

Practically, the findings of the study would be beneficial to community leaders, farmers, researchers, local and state government, policy makers, urban planners and the Ministry of Education. The findings of the study on the measures that can be put in place to enhance urban agriculture would be beneficial to community leaders as it will provide them with important information to enable them motivate community members to participate in urban agriculture. The findings would be made available to the community leaders through mass media such as pamphlets for those who can read and radio advertisements for the general public especially those who can not read

The findings of this study the strategies that can be adopted in marketing agricultural produce would be of immense benefits to farmers. Farmers will become aware of agricultural practices that are not popular in the study areas, which they can possibly adopt. It would also

enable farmers to identify practical measures that can be adopted to reduce the factors that constrains urban agriculture. The study would also make farmers to be aware of strategies that can be adopted to market farm produce as a source of income generation. The findings would be made available to farmers through extension agents.

The findings of the study would also benefit researchers. Researchers can use the findings of the study on the benefits and enhancement measures of urban agriculture as a reference guide. The study also gives room for further research. Researchers can isolate any of the identified constraint and carry out an in-depth study on it. The finding would be made available to researchers online because the findings of the study would be uploaded online.

Extension agents would also benefit from the findings of the study. The information contained in the study on the benefits, constraints and enhancement measures of urban agriculture can be translated into valuable materials for educating urban agriculturist by the extension agents. Extension agents can access the findings of the study by downloading the soft copy of the findings which would be uploaded.

The findings of the study would also be of immense benefits to local governments and the Bayelsa State Government. Data generated from the study would also enable the local and state government to identify the areas of need of the farmers and make necessary efforts to meet these needs. Government would also be motivated to use the mass media and mobilise extension agents to disseminate information on the areas of agriculture that are not practiced in the study area and measures that can be adopted to curb the constraints that would be revealed by the findings of the study.

The findings of the study would also be of immense benefits to policy makers. The findings of the study would expose policy makers to the benefits of urban agriculture and motivate them to develop policies and regulations that would lead to the integration of urban agriculture in land use

plan. Policy makers can access the information needed online when the findings of the study would have been uploaded

The findings of the study on constraints to urban farming would be of immense benefits to urban planners. For urban planners, the review offers a justification for planning agricultural activities into the urban environment, based on more than the production benefits alone. The successful strategies identified by the study can also be used to persuade communities and decision makers to preserve agricultural lands and expand agricultural areas.

The Ministry of Education would also benefit from the findings of the study. It would enable them to develop a blueprint on the types of crop and animal production practices that can be adopted in urban areas of the state incorporate these practices into the agricultural curriculum of secondary schools in Bayelsa state. They would have access to the findings of the work through the internet because the study would be uploaded online

Research Questions

The study was designed to answer the following questions:

1.   What are crops/ crop production practices carried out in urban areas of Bayelsa state?

2.   What are the animals/animal production practices carried out in urban areas of Bayelsa state?

3.   What are the strategies adopted in the marketing of agricultural produce in urban areas of

Bayelsa state?

4.   What are benefits derivable from urban agricultural activities in Bayelsa state?

5.   What are the constraints to urban agricultural practices in Bayelsa state?

6.   What are the measures that could enhance urban agriculture in Bayelsa state?

Research Hypotheses

The study was guided by the following null hypotheses which were tested at of 0.05 level of significance.

1.   There is no significant difference between the mean responses of urban farmers and

Extension Agents on the benefits derivable from urban agriculture in Bayelsa state.

2.   There is no statistically significant difference between the mean responses of urban farmers and Extension Agents on the constraints to urban agricultural practices in Bayelsa state.

3.   There is no significant difference between the mean responses of urban farmers and Extension Agents on the measures that could enhance the practice of urban agriculture in Bayelsa state.

Scope of the Study

The study focused on the practice of Urban Agriculture in Bayelsa State; Constraints and Enhancement measures. Specifically, the study focused on the types of crop and animal production practices carried out in urban areas of the state, marketing strategies of the urban agricultural produce, the benefits of urban agriculture to food security as well as the factors that limits and enhance urban agriculture. The study was conducted in three (3) Local Government Areas of Bayelsa state, these are; Yenagoa, Ogbia and Sagbama.

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