IBO FARMING IN NIGERI

The nature of the farming problem that Ibo people face is marked by several dimensions. Its diversity can be seen in the fact that farming cannot be addressed in Ibo land or villages exclusive of all other factors--cultural, economic and social. These aspects are recognized as parts of an agricultural environment. If agriculture in Ibo land is so defined, then its impact on living conditions of human beings can be clearly recognized.;The criteria used to define Ibo farming in this study are the effect of subsistence farming. It should be recognized that subsistence in Ibo land is not an impediment to village progress; on the contrary, subsistence farming is a characteristic of the traditional way of life. This particular method and others are the reasons that the author contends that subsistence farming will not only improve employment of many people but also will help to preserve the social homogeneity of the villages and the tradition.;The method used in this study includes both theoretical and quantitative measures. The theoretical aspects suggest that both the individual farmer and the institution have certain responsibilities in the provision and maintenance of subsistence farms.;A survey of Ibo farmers was conducted in six administrative subdivisions of Ibo land to collect data on farming conditions or methods and to ascertain whether there is any transition from subsistence to market production. The resulting data suggest that there has as yet been no transition from subsistence to market farming in Ibo land. Rather, the results indicated that Ibo farmers are subsistence farmers producing for their nutritional needs and for trade by barter in special cases.;The survey of 100 households indicated that most households had small farms and were very poor which meant that they would not be able to afford large farms. The survey data also showed that most households had one of four types of farm. The data indicated that Ibo villages exchange products in the form of barter. The data showed that farming in Ibo villages is done mostly by older people who are not educated and who are very poor.;Given the fact that present farming in Ibo land is mainly subsistence, the Ibo farmers are unable to produce for the commercial market. It stands to reason that if the Ibo farmers are to produce for commercial purposes, alternative methods that are cognizant of several factors of production be utilized. But present Ibo farming is mainly subsistence because of the social, economic and political factors in existence in Ibo villages. These factors have hindered the movement of Ibo farming to the commercial market. The traditional way of life in Ibo villages has perpetuated these factors, thereby stopping the agricultural development from moving toward the commercial market.;The local, state and national government policies to improve farming for commercial production have dual purposes. If the aim is to change Ibo farming methods for commercial purposes then it will fail because of the small sizes of the farms, presence of older people as main farmers, poverty, and land tenure problems. The farmers are afraid to take any risk and are unwilling to forego their traditional way of life. If another purpose is to encourage subsistence in Ibo land that objective is tenable insofar as the farmers have a sense of belonging and pride in themselves and their occupation. The alternative recommendation for the improvement of production and encouragement of people to stay in the villages, should generate a substantial increase of food production apart from contributing to the growth of the society agriculturally.;The recognition of these factors should be reflected in the formulation of a National Agricultural policy conducive to the village farmers.