Flood Losses Estimation, Mitigation and Coping Strategies among Rice Farmers in Benue State, Nigeria

This study estimated losses incurred by rice farmers during flood, identified mitigation practices adopted, compared output and income of rice farmers before and during flood. Also, ascertained coping strategies by rice farmers during flood in Northern Agricultural zone of Benue State, Nigeria. The study administered well structured questionnaire to elicit primary data from one hundred and twenty rice farmers in area submerged by flood. Direct Loss Estimation model, Descriptive statistics, Z test and three-point Likert scale were the analytical tools employed. The results indicated an average estimated total loss of above two million naira with submerged infrastructure, affected farm land, submerged rice crop, infrastructure repair, farmland repair and other repairs embedded as loss component. The results revealed that fifty percent of the respondents harvested less than five hundred kilogramme of paddy rice per hectare, about forty-six percent harvested between five hundred to one thousand kilogramme paddy rice per hectare while about four percent harvested above one thousand kilogramme paddy rice per hectare. The results showed that all rice farmers’ output in the period of flood was less than five hundred kilogramme paddy rice per hectare. About ninety eight percent of the respondents made an average income of between three hundred thousand naira and six hundred naira per hectare from the sales of paddy rice before flood while all were able to generate between one hundred thousand naira and at most three hundred thousand naira only per hectare during flood. The results showed significance differences in both output and income of rice farmers before and during flood at one percent respectively. The results revealed that the mitigating practises found to be used effective against flood by rice farmers include planting climate tolerant rice varieties, early planting of rice, diversification into non-farm activities, harvesting early to avoid total crop damage. The results also revealed that borrowing money from friends, relatives and neighbours, sold of livestock, spending personal savings, premature harvesting of crops and migration to other flood free communities were the coping strategies adopted during flood to ensure livelihood and food security in the area. Therefore, government and non-governmental organization should find solution by orientating farmers on the possibility of flood due to certain climatic factors and proffer effective measures and policy to mitigate against frequent occurrences, while farmers and communities should desist from actions and practices that could foster grievous consequences, huge economic losses and food insecurity in the area.