ANALYSIS OF CFOP-LIVESTOCK INTEGRATION, PRACTICED BY FARMERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study analyzed the nature of crop-livestock integration practiced by farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 351 farmers using a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used in the data analysis. Result showed that majority of the farmers (75%) practiced mixed cropping. 50%, 44%, 39%, and 33% of the farmers, reared goat, poultry, sheep and cattle respectively. The result of the nature of crop-livestock integration showed that most of the farmers, (45%) and (30%) practiced cereal-legume-livestock and cereal-livestock integration respectively. It is recommended that Government at all levels, NGOs and the private sectors should do more in the supply of inputs, provision of soft credit loans, and training of extension agents to help boost the production of farmers. Also, farmers should continually involve themselves in crop-livestock integration practices, this will enable them increase their food production level using limited resources available to them, this in turn will help improve their food security status. Lastly, the Government should provide enabling environment and facilities for farmers to carry out their farming activities.