Achieving Food Security through Agricultural Mechanization among Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State

Abstract

The study aims to ascertain the effect of large-scale farming on adequate food supply, determine the influence of advanced tools and equipment on farmers' productivity, and examine the influence of storage facilities on the sufficient flow of farm produce. Using the judgmental sampling techniques, the researchers were able to select three (3) reliable multi-purpose cooperatives with a total membership of three hundred and thirty-two (332) from the study area and data was obtained through a structured questionnaire. The researchers made use of descriptive statistical tools such as frequency distribution scale, use of percentage, and mean rating was utilized to analyze the data collected, and the hypothesis was tested using Pearson's Product-Moment. Table (5) was used to calculate the correlation coefficient and correlation coefficient r= 0.941. The findings revealed that large-scale farming, advanced tools, and equipment and storage facilities are key elements in addressing adequate food supply, farmer’s productivity, and sufficient flow of farm produce. It is therefore evident that food security has a significant positive influence on agricultural mechanization. On this note, the researcher made some recommendations that more farmers’ cooperatives be formed in private institutions by promotion exercise of the Director of cooperative to ensure adequate food supply, farmer’s productivity, and sufficient flow of farm produce to both public and private farmers, farmer’s multi-purpose cooperatives should establish an advisory committee or the existing ones should sit-up to duty and render advice to farmers on the use of advanced tools and equipment to ensure that members skills are put to productive use that brings about business expansion and lastly the divisional cooperative officer needs to create more awareness on the benefit of cooperative and encourage people to join and form farmer’s multi-purpose cooperatives to enjoy the benefit of increased farm produce which is as a result of large scale farming.