Contribution of Home Gardening to the Welfare of Rural Households in Osun State Nigeria

Purpose: This study describes the socio-economic characteristics of rural households, identifies the agricultural activities practiced in the home gardens, examines the respondents’ perception of home gardening, determines the contribution of home gardening to the households’ welfare, and investigates constraints to the practice of home gardening in the studied area.
Research Method: A sample of 150 rural households from three Agricultural zones (Osogbo, Ife-Ijesha, and Iwo) was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected through a structural interview schedule comprising both open and close-ended questions and the data were summarized using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation; along with inferential statistics like Chi-Square and Pearson Product Moment Correlation.
Findings: The result revealed that the mean age of household heads was 45.09±15.08 years. Additionally, the majority had received their first experience of home gardening in childhood (71.2%) and expressed willingness to continue home gardening practice (92.4%). Furthermore, they engaged in plantain cultivation (x = 2.50) always and fowl rearing (x = 2.16) often in their home gardens, among other activities. The majority (90.7%) was favourably disposed to home gardening and indicated a high contribution (86.4%) of home gardening to their households’ welfare. In addition, pilfering (x = 1.51) was identified as a serious constraint to the practice of home gardening.
Research Limitation: The economic importance and marketing aspect of home gardening are not covered due to limited resources.
Originality/ Value: The study provides insight into how home gardening could be incorporated into the extension activities of relevant organizations to enhance the full exploitation of the potentials inherent in the practice.