FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE PERCEIVED EFFECT OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN ON FOOD PRODUCTION IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study sought to understand the factors that influenced the perceived effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on food production among rural farmers in Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study examined the perceived effect of Covid 19 lockdown on food production, identified the sources of farm-related information among the rural farmers during the lockdown, and identified the factors that affected the perceived effect of COVID-19 lockdown on food production among rural farmers in Akwa Ibom State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 180 respondents for the study. Data used for the study were obtained through a well-designed questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentages, mean, and simple linear regression models. The majority of the respondents agreed that the Covid-19 lockdown reduced farmers’ income (4.76) reduced workers’ availability (4.67), the restriction of movement due to the pandemic was responsible for the disruption of transportation of farm inputs (4.62), food unavailability (4.61) food unaffordability (4.56) and reduced accessibility to food (4.47). The most used sources of information among the respondents during the lockdown were extension agents (3.62), radio (3.46), mobile phones (3.16), neighbour to neighbour (3.13), and crop farmers association (3.07). We also found that lack of funds (0.99), lack of fertilizer and agro-chemicals (0.97), high cost of inputs (0.96), lack of planting materials, and high cost of hired labour (0.94), poor market linkages (0.93) and poor storage facilities (0.90) were the factors influencing the perceived effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on food production among the respondents. This study found a positive and significant influence (R = 0.666; F _(1,178) = 141.826; P < 0.05) of these factors on the variance in the perceived effect of COVID-19 lockdown on food production. This implied that as these factors increased, the perceived effect of covid-19 lockdown on food production also increased. Farmers should be encouraged and supported to engage in multiple economic activities to forestall this state of vulnerability should a pandemic break out in the future and improve their income level, as well as boost their food production status based on affordability.