Analysis of the poverty status of cashew farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria

The study examined the poverty status of cashew farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A sample size of 210 cashew farmers was selected using the Yamane formula. Structured interview schedule was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Foster Greer Thobecke model. The findings revealed that 94.3% of the cashew farmers were of the male gender. The mean age of cashew farmers was 54.6 years. The mean years spent in formal education among cashew farmers was seven years while the mean farm size of cashew farmers was 6.1 hectares. The average income of cashew farmers over a period of 12 months was N134,517.14 while the poverty line was N 89,678.09. The FGT poverty measure showed that 24.8% of cashew farmers were living below poverty line. The poverty depth was 23.14% while poverty severity was 8.7%. The major constraints faced by cashew farmers were poor storage facilities and inadequate capital. It is recommended that government should provide storage and processing facilities in order to minimize the loss encountered by cashew farmers. Good and accessible feeder roads should be constructed for farmers and relevant extension sevices on cashew production should be provided to increase cashew output Keywords: Poverty, Cashew, Farmers, Constraints