ANALYSIS OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION ON PLANTAIN AND BANANA FARMERS IN OVIA SOUTH WEST AND OVIA NORTH EAST IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT: The study focused on poverty alleviation among plantain and banana farmers in Ovia South North East Local Government Area of Edo State. It answered the following questions (i) what is the socio-economic characteristics of plantain and banana,(ii) what is the perception of farmers on the profitability of plantain and banana production in their area, (iii) what is the constraint faced by plantain and banana farmers (iv) what is the value addition of plantain and banana among respondents. The data were collected using well structured questionnaire descriptive statistics was used to estimate the socio-economic characteristic as well as the constraints of the farmers inferential statistics was used for the hypothesis. The result of the analysis indicated that majority of the respondents were male (62.5%), formally educated (70.8%) married (79.2%), with a farm size of 1-3ha (51.7%). Also the farmers had a mean household size of size persons and a mean age of approximately 44years. They also had a mean farming experience of 11years. Majority (81.7%) of the respondents combined both plantain and banana farming. Also, it was discovered that majority of the respondents (82.5%) needed training in processing high quality plantain flour. Under the poverty structured, plantain and banana farmers had high proportion of people classed as non poor (79.6%) with a mean income of (37,948.31) majority of the respondents (mean = 2.99) agreed that a combination of plantain and banana farms alleviated poverty as they were able to enroll their children. Also, transportation was a major constraint faced by plantain and banana farmers with a mean of 4.66. it was also shown from the analysis that there is a significant association between the farming type practiced by the farmers and their poverty status. Income of the respondents who engaged in plantain/banana production (839,68.60) in plantain only (131,250). Finally, sex, education and family experience had significant relationship with constraints faced by the respondents. In conclusion, a combination of plantain/banana farms was found to be more profitable and hence alleviated poverty more, compared to individual planting of these crops.