Farmland and geospatial resource survey for food security promotion among farm families in Imo state, Nigeria
Paper Details
Farmland and geospatial resource survey for food security promotion among farm families in Imo state, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigates the crucial role of farmland surveying, geoinformatics, land use planning and evaluation in ensuring the food security of Farm families in Imo State. A total of 140 respondents were randomly chosen from a list of 1400 provided by the ALL Farmers Association of Nigeria, Imo State Office in Owerri (AFAN), all of whom have had their farmlands surveyed. Data was obtained using a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequency tables, means, and percentages. Results showed that 70% of the farmers had their farms surveyed, and 53.6% of them have been engaged in farming for over 21 years. The farmers are educated, with 50% falling within the age range of 51-60 years. They are aware of the advantages of farmland surveying. A significant majority indicated being food secure in their responses to questions, as 64.3% never worry about food running out quickly, 57.1% are not anxious that the food purchased doesn’t last, 17.1% have money to buy food, and 55.7% indicated they do not always reduce meal sizes, while 6.4% said they cannot always eat balanced meals, with 100% never experiencing these concerns. Land surveying, planning and evaluation enable farmers to understand land characteristics (72.1%), designate areas for crop irrigation (85.7%), and contribute to mitigating climate change (93.6%), among other benefits. Geoinformatics helps in assessing soil quality for farming (M=2.45), tracking movement of farm animals among others.
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