EFFECT OF FOREIGN FARMERS' PRESENCE ON POVERTY STATUS OF RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN NIGERIA

In pursuing the government's goal of socio-economic development and poverty reduction, some commercial foreign farmers were invited. Part of the expectation from this collaboration was to boost food production, create jobs for youth, and alleviate rural poverty. The aim of this study was to consider the spillover effect of the foreign farmers' presence on the poverty status of farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria. The population for the study comprises of all the farming households in Edu local government area. There was a random selection of 20 villages and 12 farming households from each village, summing 240 respondents. Analytical methods used were descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results have shown that adoption index and household size are positively related to total revenue at a 1% level of significance, which indicated a strong influence of the adoption of foreign farmers' technology on the income of local farmers. It was concluded that it is a positive spillover effect of the presence of foreign farmers concerning the technological transfer, increased output with its positive effect on poverty far outweighs the displacement of farmlands. This should preferably be enhanced for better productivity.