Farmer Literacy Education Strategies for Achieving Poverty and Hunger Reduction Among Rural Farmers in Abia State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Reducing poverty, hunger and illiteracy among rural farmers is a major challenge facing governments, rural development experts and stakeholders. Over 70% of the poor live in rural areas and where 48% of these already live in extreme poverty and hunger. The poor concentrate in the rural communities where agriculture remains the major economic activity. It was the assumption of this study that the basic approach to reducing poverty and hunger among rural farmers is to teach rural farmers modern farming skills and technologies with basic literacy skills in an integrated approach through farmer literacy education strategies. This educational strategy was thought to improve agricultural knowledge and skills among rural farmers; increase farm productivity; raise income-generating capacity and in the long run achieve poverty and hunger-reduction. The purpose of this study was to identify functional Farmer Literacy Education strategies that can teach modern agricultural knowledge and literacy skills in an integrated approach to rural farmers as means to enhancing their socioeconomic living conditions. The descriptive Survey Research Design was the methodology adopted for the study. Five research questions and five hypotheses respectively were stated andformulated to guide the study. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. This was structured on a 4 point response options designed to elicit responses that provided answers to the research questions.Data analyses involved the use of Frequency Distribution tables, Mean, Standard Deviation and Variance. These statistical procedures were used to summarize and compute data generated from administration of the instrument. The five hypotheses were testedat 0.05 level of significance, using t-test and z-test. The findings of the study indicated among others that (i) low agricultural productivity, illiteracy, and poor access to improved farm inputs are the major causes of poverty and hunger among rural farmers in Ohafia agriecozone of Abia State; (ii) that Farmer Literacy Educationhas significant roles to play if poverty and hunger are to decline rapidly among rural farmers. These findings have far reaching implications on rural agricultural development programmes. The study suggested that Farmer Literacy Education specifically designed for rural farmers should be geared towards human capital development of the peasant farmers and the improvement of their productive capacities. The study recommended that rural farmers need basic literacy skills and improved agricultural knowledge as necessary conditions for rural agricultural transformation and improved productivity leading to poverty and hunger reduction among rural farmers.