Land encroachment and coping strategies of smallholder crop farmers in Ilorin east local government area of Kwara state, Nigeria

Abstract

Over the years, a noticeable decline in land availability for agricultural purposes has unfolded, driven by factors such as urbanisation, population growth and industrial development. This study examined the land encroachment and coping strategies of smallholder crop farmers in Ilorin East Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 139 smallholder crop farmers were selected for this study. The data was obtained with a structured interview schedule. The data collected were analysed using frequency count, percentages, mean, standard deviation and paired sample t-test. The findings show that about 46.0% of the farmers had moderate extent of land encroachment, 63.3% of farmers had high livelihood status, and there was a significant reduction in the size of farmland in hectares following encroachment in crops like Yam from a mean size 0.54 to 0.26 (ha), Maize 0.84 to 0.45 (ha), Sorghum 0.48 to 0.23 (ha), Rice 0.54 to 0.27 (ha), and Cassava 0.70 to 0.40 (ha). Land encroachment has effects (p=0.000) on the size of land cultivated for different crops. The study also shows  that the key coping strategies employed by the farmers were participating in value-adding activities and advocacy campaigns (91.4%) and engaging in off-farm employment (89.2%). The study concluded that there is a substantial decrease in farm size after land encroachment. The study therefore recommended that farmers should engage in value-adding initiatives in their farming practices in order to earn more income to reduce the effects of land encroachment.