Perceived Impact of Farmers and Herdsmen Conflict on Arable Crop Productivity in Selected Agricultural Zone of Oyo State, Nigeria
Abstract:The study examined the perception of farmers' and herdsmen's conflict impact on arable crop productivity in a selected agricultural zone of Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria. Multistage and proportionate sampling techniques were used to select 270 farmers. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, and mean ranking analysis. The result revealed that factors such as water scarcity, inequitable access to land, diminishing land resources, burning of rangelands and fadama settlement, decline in internal discipline and social cohesion, antagonistic perceptions and beliefs among farmers and herdsmen, policy contradictions, and non-recognition of rights of indigenes are major causes of conflict in farmer-herdsmen conflict in the sampled agricultural zone in Oyo state. It was revealed that the invasion of herdsmen had seriously affected the yield of an arable crop. Hence, the study concluded that arable crop productivity is greatly affected by the conflicts and consequentially debilitates the once mutually existing farmer-pastoralist relationships. The study, therefore, recommended that the agricultural association should embrace a resilience strategy that can enhance peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders.
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