Effect Of The National Programme On Food Security On Food Production
[A CASE STUDY OF ANAMBRA STATE]

The National Programme on Food Security (NPFS) is one of government’s attempts at addressing the issue of food security. Over the years agricultural programmes had centred on the top-down approach which tends to keep the target beneficiaries by the side during the programmes’ planning process.
Consequently, such agricultural programmes could not achieve the set objectives and therefore not sustainable. Group formation is thereby encouraged under the NPFS. For this reason cooperatives are vehicle for accessing funds to execute various economic enterprises provided by the NPFS.
It is therefore against this backdrop that the researcher is set to examine the extent to which the National Programme on Food Security (NPFS) has achieved its set objectives and enhanced food production. The study is also set to examine how the lot of cooperative farmers have been bettered through the NPFS.
Furthermore, the researcher hopes to make meaningful recommendations that will make the NPFS, other operational programmes and subsequent programmes on food security more feasible and effective.
1.3    Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of this study is to determine the effect of the National Programme on Food Security (NPFS) on food production.
The specific objectives are to:
1.    determine the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers benefitting from the NPFS;
2.    identify how the NPFS has contributed to increasing food production/output;
3.    identify the problems associated with the NPFS; and
4.    make recommendations based on the findings.
1.4    Research Questions
The research will answer the following questions:
1.    What is the effect of the NPFS on food production?
2.    What are the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents?
3.    How has the NPFS increased food production/output?
4.    What are the problems associated with the NPFS?
1.5    Statement of the Research Hypothesis
The following hypothesis was formulated to guide the study:
H0; The National Programme on Food security has not significantly increased food production in the study area.
H1; The National Programme on Food security has significantly increased food production in the study area.
1.6    Significance of the Study
The findings of this research will be of great importance to the government and policy makers. It will help them restructure and make necessary adjustment and redesign the NPFS if there is need to do so. It will also be helpful in designing and implementing subsequent programmes that will also be targeted at food security.
1.7    Scope of the Study
The study covers activities of farmers who are benefitting under the NPFS in Anambra. There are 9 demonstration sites, three in each of the senatorial district.
1.8    Problems Encountered
In the course of this research the researcher encountered the following problems:
  . Inadequate finance: The researcher was constrained by the limited fund available for this research.
  . High illiteracy level of the Respondents/ Farmers benefitting from the NPFS: The farmers are mostly illiterates. Filling the questionnaire was difficult for them. The researcher has to help them out with filling the questionnaire and this was a difficult task for the researcher.
.  The Location of the demonstration sites: The demonstration sites are located in far places. It was difficult getting to the sites.
. Poor record keeping of the farmers: The farmers have a poor attitude towards record keeping. As a result of this, the researcher could not obtain all the necessary data required for the purpose of this research.
. Time: The researcher was also constrained by time. The time available for this work was not adequate for the researcher to carry out the research.
. Non response: Some of the farmers were not cooperative, they refused filling the questionnaire. The researcher made repeated visits before some of the questionnaires were returned. Some were not returned.
In spite of these shortcomings the results of this research are valid and reliable.
1.9    Operational Definition of Terms
Pilot phase: It is the experiment phase of a programme. A system of testing a package on a small piece of land or group of people before extending the result to others.
SPFS: It means the Special Programme on Food Security. It is the first phase of the programme on food security.
NSPFS: It is the expanded phase of the SPFS. It means National Special Programme on Food security.
NPFS: This is the expanded phase of the NSPFS. It means the National Programme on Food Security.
Food Security: Food security simply refers to the ability of individuals and households to meet staple food needs all year round.