Agriculture

Agriculture is the major economic activity in the District, employing about 78% of the working population. About 80% of the farmers are into subsistence agriculture, producing small quantities of maize, millet, groundnuts, soya bean and cowpea.  Animal production is a major agricultural activity undertaken by the people to supplement incomes from crop farming. 

The local agricultural sector is confronted with depleting soil fertility, unreliable rainfall pattern, limited investment capital and skills, pests and diseases, inadequate access to extension service and low access to market. These challenges are making agricultural productivity very low in the District, thereby rendering farming not lucrative.  Many of the active population therefore migrate to other parts of the country to farm or search for other greener pastures. The tables below present the situation in the agricultural sector.

Food Security

Household food requirement in the district is a challenge among the poor in the District, especially during the lean season. The harvest season is usually characterized by abundance, particularly to crop farming households. However, due to low income levels, farmers usually sell their produce to provide their non-food needs leaving them with insufficient food for the rest of the year. As a result, it is not uncommon to see food crop farmers buying food during the lean season to feed their households. This trend is a real concern to the district.

Therefore, efforts are very important to diversity agriculture by intensifying poultry, livestock and fish farming, coupled with a vigorous agricultural development. These will increase food production and household incomes so as to improve food security in the District. The table below shows the percentage change in yield of selected rops. The trend indicates an iratic pattern with regards to increase in production over the years. For instance, production of cowpea decreased from 1.98% in 2013 to 1.4% in 2014. Production however increased to 2% in 2015, decreased to 1.97% in 2016 and marginally increased to 1.99% in 2017.

PERCENTATGE CHANGE IN PRODUCTION OF SELECTED CROPS