Causes and effects of land conflicts on crop production in Lapai and Lavun local Government areas of Niger state, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed the causes and effects of land conflicts on crop production in Lapai and Lavun local Government areas of Niger state, Nigeria. A random sampling technique was adopted in sampling of 154 respondents used for the study. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression models. Results showed that the modal age of the respondents was 51 to 60 years an indication that majority of the youths have migrated from rural areas to urban areas as a result of land conflicts in search of greener pastures leaving older people to do farming.Inheritance system of land tenure system is the major source of land for farming activities in the area (62.6%). The source of acquisition of land for farming activities do affect the types of crop cultivated and scale of farming enterprises. The average farm size of the respondents was 2.6 ha. This is an indication that majority of the farmers in the study area were peasant farmers practicing subsistence agriculture. The major causes of land conflict in the area were failure to respect farm boundaries (x̅=10.4), contesting the inheritance of the land (x̅=12.9), destruction of farm crops by grazing animal (x̅=11.9) and abandonment of previously accepted rules of access to and use of land (x̅=8.7).The regression coefficients of fertilizer is positive and statistically significant at 1%, which implies that anincrease in fertilizer have direct influence on the output of farmers. Reduction in output and income of crop farmers as a result of the destruction of crops during crisis is the most prevalence of the effect. The study therefore, recommended thatIndividual and community farm boundaries should be respected to avoid litigations, which could lead to wastage of resources and loss of manpower.