Agriculture as Catalyst for Poverty Reduction in Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Agriculture has been acknowledged naturally as an important tool for poverty reduction in Cross River State. The growth and of development indices for any state lay within the agricultural sector but today the sectors development is a threat political, economic, social, cultural and scientific art of a given nation. When it ought to encourage the rate of unemployment and poverty is high and must be reduced. The concept of poverty reduction was introduced based on United Nation declaration scheme such as “freedom for Hunger and world food day” agriculture is seen within a wide general concern to reduce the economic poor condition of people who occupy lower socio-economic status. In Nigeria, Patriarchal society and inheritance is patrilineal this is a constraint to agricultural development context as vehicle, in 1999 the federal government of Nigeria launched a poverty reduction scheme such as family economic advancement, community-based poverty reduction and international funds for agricultural development. This paper therefore discusses the role of agriculture in poverty reduction by focusing on mechanized system of farming and the significance of animal farming in agriculture and poverty reduction using stratified technique. Data were collected through primary and secondary sources. The paper further recommends that funding and redirection of both individuals, government and other donor agencies toward agriculture particularly, animal farming to avoid over dependence on oil section as a way of reducing poverty in Cross River State-Nigeria.