Determinants of Household Food Security of Paddy Farmers in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka

Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Eastern University, Sri Lanka

Abstrsact

Declining crop productivity and farm income in Sri Lanka forced rural households to adopt various coping mechanisms to mitigate the food insecurity status. This study aimed to analyze the paddy farmer’s coping behaviours, food security status and the determinants of food security. Food security was measured using coping strategies index and multinomial logistic regression was done to analyse the determinants of food security. Results revealed that, mean monthly income of the household was Rs. 13, 104.33. Almost all the households adopted various coping mechanisms. 30% of households were in food insecure condition. Multinomial logistic regression results revealed that family size, education level of the head of the household and total monthly income significantly influence the food security status. When household monthly income increases, the odds ratio to be food secure and moderately food secure increases by one. Considering the diversity of coping strategies employed in the study area, policy instruments should be designed to improve the income level coupled with proper education and thereby to improve the food security status among rural household in Batticaloa district

Key words: Coping behaviours, food security, Multinomial Logistic regression

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka

Copyright © 2007 by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna

Print ISSN 1391-3646 Online ISSN 2386-1533