Agro-Terrorism Push Factors in Ebonyi State

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the potential drivers of agro-terrorism in Ebonyi State. Employing a multi-stage random sampling approach, this study selected respondents from six local government areas, representing two from each of the three agricultural zones in Ebonyi State. Subsequently, twelve communities were chosen at random from the selected local government areas. Within these communities, a total of 240 farmers, with 20 farmers selected randomly from each of the 12 communities, constituted the study's sample size. The study primarily utilized structured questionnaires and interview schedules to gather data and descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to identify the socio-economic characteristics of farmers in Ebonyi State. The study's findings revealed that agro-terrorism, particularly herdsmen attacks, and crop infestation, held prominent positions among the reported agro-terrorism acts. Farmers in the study area affirmed these threats at rates of 91.7% and 69.2%, respectively. In contrast, awareness levels were lower for other forms of agro-terrorism, such as livestock poisoning (56.7%), water poisoning (44.6%), and the coercion of farmers to purchase genetically modified seeds (GMO) (14.6%). This research contributes valuable insights to the government's efforts to address agro-terrorism. It underscores the need for farmer training programs and serves as a foundational tool for policy formulation and program development aimed at enhancing farmers' awareness and preparedness regarding agro-terrorism. Keywords: Agro-terrorism, Push factor, Awareness, Farmers