Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 17 ISSUE 1
Written by Raphael Ndubuisi ECHEBIRI, Oscar Igwe OBASI, Daniel Chinedu NWAOGU

This study examined the major diseases affecting agricultural production in Abia state in line with the various time allocation and labour-use patterns in the study area. The Body Mass Index (BMI) was used as a classification criterion to categorize farmers as healthy and non-healthy. 1080 farming households were selected from Abia state through a multi-stage sampling technique. The anthropometric result (using BMI) showed that only about 44% of the farmers were healthy. There was a marked difference for labour and time-use patterns (considering the energy demands of the various activities) for both healthy and non-healthy farmers. Healthy households utilized family labour as their main source of labour while hired labour was mainly used by non-healthy households. Arthritis, rheumatism, malaria/typhoid and asthma were the major diseases that affected the farmers during different cultural activities. These farm activities are usually energy-sapping and have the tendency to increase the likelihood event for farmers to take ill. The study recommends that effective extension services geared towards educating farmers on preventive measures to avoid undue exposure to harsh environmental conditions so as to improve agricultural productivity. The operation of action programs to combat these health challenges by all stakeholders as well as the availability of inputs at subsidized prices will provide a pathway for improved healthiness and welfare by reducing the financial burdens faced by these poor, sick households.

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