Abstract
This study analyzed the effect of tenure security and farmers socio-economic characteristics on farm investment of arable crop farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Multi-stage, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting 80 respondents used for the study. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to the respondents. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, and multiple regression analysis. Result showed that about 64 percent of the respondents were between 30-49 years of age, with a mean age of 42.63 years. Majority of the farmers were men and were married, with a mean household size of 5 persons per household. All the farmers had one form of formal education or other ranging from primary to tertiary education. The mean hectarage cultivated by the farmers was 1.9 hectares and on the average, the farmers had spent 18.02 years in arable crop farming. Only 30 percent and 17 of the farmers had contact with extension agents and were members of farmers’ cooperative societies respectively. The major socio-economic factors influencing land tenure/tenure security were age and sex; cultural factor was norms/belief; tradition/religious factors were tribe and position in the family; and institutional factors were the state of the economy and credit. The significant determinants of farm investment were tenancy status of the farmers (P = 0.001), education (P = 0.001), farming experience (P = 0.005), farm size (P = 0.005), credit (P = 0.001) and income (P = 0.001). Education and training of the farmers was recommended as well as policies that will grant farmers increased access to land and secured tenure should be put implemented. These will increase investment and farm productivity.

Keywords
Tenure Security, Investment and Arable Crop

Cite this paper
Iheke, O. R., Nto, P. O., ONYENEKE, I. Q., EFFECT OF TENURE SECURITY AND FARMERS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ON FARM INVESTMENT OF ARRABLE CROP FARMERS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA , SCIREA Journal of Agriculture. Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2019 | PP. 18-34.

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