Effects of the European Union Micro Project Programme on the poverty status of food crop farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study evaluates the effects of the European Union Micro Project Programme (MPP6) on the poverty status of food crop farmers in Imo State. Primary data were collected with structured and validated questionnaire from one hundred and ninety eight farmers comprising of farmers in the beneficiary and non-beneficiary communities. The analytical tools used for the study include; descriptive statistics and the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) model. The FGT poverty measure showed that the poverty headcount for households in the beneficiary and non-beneficiary was 52 and 60 respectively; indicating that incidence of poverty was higher among households in the non benefitting communities than households in the benefitting communities. Thus the European Union should establish more infrastructural facilities particularly in the non-benefitting communities as this will bring about the development of the rural communities.

Keywords: Micro project programme, Poverty and Small scale farmers