Attitude of Rural Farmers Households Toward the Production and Consumption of Edible Mushrooms as a Strategy to Alleviate Poverty in the North Central States of Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the attitude of rural farmers' households toward the production and consumption of edible mushrooms as a strategy to alleviate poverty status in the North Central Geo-Agricultural Zone of Nigeria. A sample of 389 farmers sampled using the multiple random sampling technique was used for the study. It employed both descriptive and inferential statistics (binary logit regression, t-test, and binomial test) which were respectively used to analyse the objectives and hypotheses of the study. Results revealed that the male dominated (59.13%) the farming of mushrooms with most (48.07%) of them having post-secondary school qualifications and farming as their primary occupation (32.90%). The major source of income of most (82.01%) of the respondents is farming and crop farming was the type practised by most (95.63%) of them and they are into full-time farming (77.63%). The respondents' average age and household size were 37.37 years and 5 persons, respectively. Most (89%) showed a favourable attitude to mushroom growth and consumption and respondents earned a difference of N65,5552.70 in favour of farmers after adding mushrooms to the crops they were growing before. Most (60.67%) of the respondents indicated that the difference in income earned would help to a very high degree alleviate the poverty status of the respondents. Socio-demographic characteristics like gender, marital status, age, educational level and household size were significant factors in the attitude of the respondents in line with the production and consumption of mushrooms. The study recommended that scientists should educate people through an organised programme on how to identify edible mushrooms so that they can gain greater interest in the production and consumption of the produce. Also, pesticides and fungicides that are capable of controlling pests and diseases that attack the crop should be developed and used to control attacks on the crop.