Crop Productivity, Land Degradation and Poverty Nexus in Delta North Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria

This paper examined the nexus among crop productivity, land degradation and poverty in Delta North Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. The hypothesis was that there is no significant relationship among crop productivity, land degradation and poverty in the study area A Multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 150 respondents. Data were analyzed using percentages and Logit regression. In the regression analysis of Determinants of Crop Productivity, the adjusted R-square showed that about 46 percent of the variability in crop productivity was due to the explanatory variables. The F-stat of 21.41 was significant P = 0.01. All significant variables were positively related to the farmers’ crop productivity. The weighted measure of poverty was employed to determine the poverty line as N5, 383.98. The logit model estimated the determinants of poverty in the study area. The model was well fitted with the log-likelihood function (-54.39) and the Chi-square X2(98.74) significant at 1% level and different variables being significant in the model. The estimated household size variable has a positive coefficient of 0.84 at 1 % significance level. The dependency ratio (X4) coefficient of -0.52 was significant p = 0.05 %. The value of elasticity showed that if dependency ratio decreases by one percent, the probability of being poor will increase by 0.13 percent. Household farm income (X5) coefficient was found to be significant at 1% and negatively related to poverty status. Also the marginal analysis revealed that if farm income increases by 1 percent, the poverty status will remain unchanged. Land ownership (X13) variable has a positive coefficient of 1.07 at 10 % significant level. Agricultural information (X14) was also found to be statistically significant at 5 % level but with negative coefficient of 1.56. We recommend that Policy on land management practices and natural resource exploitation should be reviewed or put in place where not existing and adhered to strictly by all relevant bodies and individuals as it will go a long way to conserving the natural resources and promoting crop yields with resultant increased farm income, all things being equal. Secondly, that family planning policy/programme of a maximum of four children to a family be revisited with a view to implementing it rigorously if the problems of large family size and unemployment are to be effectively addressed in the medium to long term.