“THE HUNGRY FOOD SUPPLIERS”: AN EXAMINATION OF POVERTY AND FOOD PRODUTION AMONG THE RURAL FARMERS OF NKANU LAND

Abstract

Farming is one of the oldest professions of the Igbo man. And food production precedes any other agricultural practices in Igboland. Food production as used here means the production of edible root crops like yams, cocoa-yam, and cassava, and cereal crops like rice and maize. Citrus fruits like oranges and mangoes, among other fruits. Other food crops worthy of mention are Okro, Melon, Banana/Plantain, Vegetables and Oil palm products. Each of these has its place in the food production chain in Nkanu area of Igboland. Poverty on the other hand, denotes socio – economic conditions of deprivation or lack of the basic necessities of life, in particular of things which are imperative but are absent and renders life indecent. These conditions are prevalent in rural areas of which major part of Nkanu land falls under. This paper examines the contradiction where rural Nkanu which contributes a huge proportion of food consumed in Enugu metropolitan city, still wallow in hunger and poverty. Attempts shall be made to ascertain the linkage between rural food production and poverty level in Nkanuland. And conclude that both the food producers and policy – makers must look at the food question as a triangular relationship between food production, distribution and consumption. Oral and written sources – archival materials, files, government documents/edicts, books, among others – were used to enhance wider scope of research.