Agricultural Commercialization and Food Security Nexus among Maize Farmers in Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

Aims: An essential path to economic growth and expansion is commercialization of smallholder agriculture for the greatest number of emerging countries that depend on agriculture. Hence, the need to examine agricultural commercialization and food security nexus among maize farmers in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. This is due to the fact that maize is the most important staple food in Nigeria.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Ondo State, Nigeria between March and July 2019.

Methodology: The sampling procedure used in the selection of a sample of 120 respondents was a two-stage random sampling procedure. Data for this study were drawn from the sampled respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire and interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and probit regression model.

Results: The results show that majority (35.8% and 65%) of the respondents were between 31 and 40 years of age and males, respectively. Also, majority (52.5%) of the respondents had between 81 and 100% level of commercialization, while 54.2% of the respondents were food insecure. Furthermore, household size, year of schooling, level of commercialization, farming experience, non-farm activities, and market information had significant influence on food security status of the respondents in the study area.

Conclusion: In conclusion, agricultural commercialization is capable of swelling the likelihood of being food secure. Therefore, policies and necessary supports that can enhance agricultural commercialization among maize farmers should be put in place by individuals, government and non-governmental organizations in order to alleviate the menace of food insecurity.