Factors Associated with Food Security and Factors Responsible for Food Insecurity among Farming Households in Tarka Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria

Food insecurity remains a major socioeconomic and agricultural challenge in Nigeria, particularly among rural
farming households whose livelihoods depend heavily on smallholder agriculture. This study examined the
socioeconomic characteristics of farming households, livelihood activities, household food expenditure, perceived
changes in food conditions, factors responsible for food insecurity, and strategies for achieving sustainable food
security in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Data were obtained through a structured
questionnaire administered to 700 farming households across ten political wards, with 500 completed
questionnaires retrieved and analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, and chi-square statistics. The results
indicate that males constituted 62.0% of respondents, while females accounted for 38.0%. Regarding educational
attainment, 18.0% had no formal education, 40.0% had primary education, 20.0% had secondary education, and
22.0% possessed tertiary qualifications. Farming was the dominant primary occupation (52.0%), while 72.0%
cultivated 0.30 ha or less. A substantial 76.0% of respondents had no access to credit, while 70.0% of those
reporting credit sources relied on local informal arrangements. Crop production constituted the most common
livelihood activity (40.0%). Furthermore, 53.0% of respondents spent ₦10,000–₦20,000 monthly on food, while
80.0% perceived their food situation as worse than previously. Lack of education and skills (86.7%), poverty
(85.3%), high food prices (77.4%), lack of consistent food supply (68.6%), poor health services (66.7%), poor
rural infrastructure (66.6%), inadequate post-harvest technologies (66.0%), and weak support services (65.3%)
were identified as major contributors to food insecurity. All respondents supported farmer cooperation,
infrastructure development, crop diversification, mechanization, and agricultural biotechnology as strategies for
improving food security. The chi-square result (χ² = 108.01; df = 9; p < 0.05) indicates a statistically significant
departure from the expected distribution, suggesting associations between the examined factors and food security
outcomes. The study concludes that food insecurity in Tarka LGA is multidimensional and requires integrated
interventions involving agricultural education, affordable finance, rural infrastructure, post-harvest management,
livelihood diversification, appropriate mechanization, and improved food-market access.

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