Analysis of Farmers’ Perception on the Contribution of Vegetable Farming to their Livelihood in Yola North Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzes farmers’ perception on the contribution of vegetable farming to their livelihood in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed in selecting 172 farmers for the study. Descriptive statistics, Likert scale and logistic regression were used to analyzed the data. The result revealed that majority (67%) of the respondents were male with mean age of 33 years, and mean farming experience of 7 years. The mean monthly income of the respondents was ₦79,971. Furthermore, the major types of vegetable cultivated were Tomato (71.51%), Okra (61.63%) and Amaranthus (55.23%). Vegetable farming was perceived to provide substantial livelihood benefits, with a high grand mean score of 4.43, indicating overall agreement among respondents. Financial (Mean = 4.58) and physical capital (Mean = 4.66) benefits were most pronounced, particularly in providing reliable income and ready market access. Human (Mean = 4.42) and natural capital (Mean = 4.42) benefits also significantly enhanced food security, nutrition, and efficient land use, while social capital (Mean = 4.03) improved household decision-making and community cooperation. The logistic regression results indicate that farm size (p = 0.002), access to credit (p = 0.010), access to inputs (p < 0.01), and income (p < 0.01) significantly increase the likelihood of farmers perceiving vegetable farming as contributing positively to their livelihood. The model was statistically significant (LR = 22.729) with strong explanatory power (McFadden R² = 0.696). These findings underscore the importance of productive assets and financial access in shaping livelihood perception. It is concluded that vegetable farming is a viable and sustainable livelihood strategy in Yola North. However, its full potential is limited by restricted access to productive resources, credit facilities, and effective institutional support systems. The study recommends that access to credit, Input Supply Systems, Agricultural Extension Services, and irrigation and dry-season agriculture should be improved.