Socio-economic variables associated with poverty in crude oil polluted crop farms in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study focused on the use of socio-economic variables as determinants of poverty in crude oil polluted crop farms in Rivers State, Nigeria. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of socio-economic variables on the poverty level of farm-households, and to estimate the probability and intensity of poverty among the farmers in crude oil polluted and nonpulluted farms. A multistage sampling technique was use to collect data for this study. A total of 340 questionnaires were distributed within 17 local government areas of the state, out of which 296 questionnaires were found suitable for analysis using tobit censored regression analysis. This study found out that extent of income diversification reduced poverty drastically by 9.8 times in crude oil polluted farm-households and 12.7 times in non-polluted farm-households. Other variables that also reduced poverty in all categories of farms studied include land ownership by inheritance (2.9%) and years of farming experience. Some variables that reduced poverty in crude oil polluted farms though marginally, were access to extension services (0.48%) and farm labour. All the socio-economic variables estimated showed that the probability of poverty will decrease in many farm-households up to 11.20% as in the case of farm income if there is a 10% increase in these variables, while the intensity of poverty will also decrease in many farm-households up to 7.63% using the same variable (farm income). © 2011 Asian Network for Scientific Information.