SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF RESOURCE USE CONFLICT BETWEEN CROP FARMERS AND CATTLE HERDERS IN MISAU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAUCHI STATE.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF RESOURCE USE CONFLICT BETWEEN CROP FARMERS AND CATTLE HERDERS IN MISAU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAUCHI STATE.

Abstract:

Crop farmers and Cattle herders‟ conflicts have remained the most prevailing resource-use conflict in Bauchi State especially in Misau Local Government Area. Social and economic factors continue to inflame violent conflicts. The competition between these two agricultural land user-groups threats the means of survival and livelihoods of both groups in Misau Local Government Area. The study had the following specific objectives: to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and cattle herders; determine the socio-economic causes of the conflict in the study area; determine the socio-economic effects of conflict on both groups, evaluate the perception of crop farmers and cattle herders on the performance of institutions involved in managing the conflict. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collections were used. The respondents were drawn using purposive, multi stage and snowball-sampling methods in the four selected Villages. Information was elicited using one hundred and thirty-six (129) structured questionnaire and Eight (8) key informants were selected for the in-depth interview. The quantitative data collected were subjected to both descriptive (frequency count and percentage) and inferential (Logit regression) statistical analysis while the qualitative data were analysed in a thematic form. Data analysis revealed that crop damage (-3.479), blockage of watering points (2.601) were both statistically significant at p < 0.01 and Lawlessness (1.198) statistically significant at p < 0.05 as the major sources of conflict. The findings also revealed lost of expected yield (55.0%), lost cattle, displacement of people (69.0%) and loss of human lives (68.2%) as the major effect of conflict. The study concludes that crop farmers and cattle herders‟ conflict instigate a loss of livelihoods to both groups and contributes to spread and persistent violence such as ethnic clashes and armed robbery. Therefore, it is in the interest of the State to address the genuine needs of the cattle herders for availability of grazing land, resolve the recurring conflicts in the agricultural sector that provides employment to reasonable portion of the country‟s population. The study finally recommends that farmers should adopt intensive cultivation by using improved seeds and farm inputs. The cattle herders should embark on fodder production such as growing of Guatemala and Bracharia to feed their cattle in times of scarcity during the dry season. The study also recommends that the religious, traditional and nomad leaders should give more efforts in preaching the implications of the conflict on the people and the community in general.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF RESOURCE USE CONFLICT BETWEEN CROP FARMERS AND CATTLE HERDERS IN MISAU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAUCHI STATE.

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