Determinants of Poverty among Smallholder Farms in Central District of Hatay Province, Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to calculate poverty and its determinants in smallholder farms in central district of Hatay province, Turkey. Data were collected by questionnaire to 73 small farmers who had 20 decares or smaller land sizes. In the study Head Count Ratio and the Poverty Gap Index were used to measure poverty. In order to reveal the factors affecting poverty the Logit model was used. According to the results, Head Count Index and Poverty Gap were determined as 17.8% and 49%, respectively. In addition, considering the 50% of the median income of all farmers, the poverty line was calculated as TL 3740.9 and 13 producers were found below the poverty line. The most important factors affecting poverty in small producers were determined as retirement status of the business manager, social security status, number of equivalent households and land size. We concluded that the presence of retirement and social security situation decreases poverty whereas increasing the number of equivalent household’s increases poverty. Early retirement programs for small producers and ease of payment of social security premiums may contribute to poverty reduction in smallholder farms.

Keywords

• Poverty,smallholder farm,head count index,poverty gap,Turkey

References

1. Asogwa BC, Umeh JC, Okwoche VA, (2012) Poverty and efficiency among the farming households in Nigeria: A guide for poverty reduction policy. Current Research Journal of Economic Theory 4(1), 6-10.
2. Apata TG, Apata OM, Igbalajobi OA, Awoniyi SMO, (2010) Determinants of rural poverty in Nigeria: Evidence from small holder farmers in South-western, Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology Education Research 1(4), 85-91.
3. Bogale A, (2011) Analysis of poverty and its covariates among smallholder farmers in the eastern Hararghe highlands of Ethiopia. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics 3(3), 157-164.
4. Caglayan E, Kosan NI, Astar M, (2012) An empirical analysis of the determinants of household poverty in Turkey. Asian Economic and Financial Review 2(1), 181.
5. El-Osta HS, Morehart MJ, (2008) Determinants of poverty among US farm households. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 40(1), 1-20.
6. FAO, (2018) Food and Agricultural Organization. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC, Accessed on 20.08.2018.
7. Greene WH, (2011) Econometric Analysis. Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall, ISBN-10: 0131395386, New Jersey.
8. Gujarati DN, (1995) Basic Econometrics, Mc Graw-Hill Inc, U.S.A.

9. Hazell PB, Poulton C, Wiggins S, Dorward A, (2007) The future of small farms for poverty reduction and growth. International Food Policy Research Institute 42.75-76
10. Ike PC, Oboh VU, (2009). A Gender Analysis of Poverty Gap among Farm Families in Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Agricultural Journal 4(6), 254-259.
11. Kan A, (2012). Poverty in Agricultural Holdings and Evaluation of Poverty in the Framework of Gender Assessment in Rural Area: Konya Province, Hadim Distirict Case, Doctoral Dissertation, Selcuk University, Social Sciences Institute 278 p.
12. Mbanasor JA, Nwachukwu IN, Agwu NM, Njoku MSE, Onwumere J, (2013) Analysis of income inequality and poverty dynamics among rural farm households in Abia state, Nigeria. International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics 1(2), 99-104
13. Naschold F, (2009). Microeconomic determinants of income inequality in rural Pakistan. The Journal of Development Studies 45(5), 746-768.
14. Obisesan AA, (2013). Credit accessibility and poverty among smallholder cassava farming households in South West, Nigeria. Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences 3(2), 120-127.
15. OECD, 2018. http://www.oecd.org/eco/growth/OECD-Note-EquivalenceScales.pdf Accessed on 10.10.2017.
16. Oluwatayo IB, (2014) Gender dimensions of poverty and coping options among smallholder farmers in Eastern Nigeria. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5(27), 49-61
17. Oztornacı B, Demirdogen A, (2015) According to Different Equivalence Scales, Change of Basic Poverty Indicators: The Case of Turkey. Journal of Agricultural Economics 21(1), 7-15.
18. Ravallion M, (1992). Poverty Comparisons: A Guide to Concepts and Methods. World Bank LSMS Working Paper, 88.
19. Rotich JK, Odhiambo M, Ngeno V, (2017) Effect of tea farming household characteristics on poverty levels among tea farmers in Konoin Sub-County, Kenya. Global Journal of Commerce & Managament Perspective 6(3), 34-44
20. Sarwar I, Ashfaq M, Bari A, Hafeez N, (2012) The contribution of various non-farm income sources in reducing income inequality across different farm sizes: A comparison of barani Punjab and cotton/wheat Sindh. Pak. J. Agri. Sci, 49(3), 371-375.
21. Thapa G, Gaiha R, (2011) Smallholder farming in Asia and the Pacific: Challenges and opportunities. International Conference on Dynamics of Rural Transformation in Emerging Economies, April 14-16, 2010, New Delhi, India
22. TurkStat, (2018) Turkish Statistical Institute. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/Start.do;jsessionid= 0l2JZjQQyhzQ7Rv1hdFhSHk23bCJQzlLlJc9Vk2GXrkKbwdK13J9!-1513161628. Accessed on 10.10.2017.
23. UNCTAD, (2015). Smallholder Farmers and Sustainable Commodity Development. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Commodity and Development Report.
24. Vatta K, Sidhu RS, (2010). Rural non-farm employment, income distribution and poverty: Micro level evidence from Punjab. Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 65(4), 693-709.
25. World Bank, (2018). http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview Accessed on 10.10.2017.