Contribution of Smallholder Poultry Production to Household Food Security in Billiri Local Government Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Poultry production can contribute to household food security through direct provision of eggs and meat and through income generated from the sale of birds and poultry products. This study assessed the contribution of smallholder poultry production to household food security in Billiri Local Government Area (LGA), Gombe State, Nigeria. Primary cross-sectional data were collected in 2025 from 160 poultry-farming households selected through a multistage procedure covering Banganje, Billiri, Tanglang and Todi wards. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize households, production systems, institutional access and poultry-related food-security pathways, while the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure household food insecurity. A multiple regression model was used to examine factors associated with the HFIAS score. Poultry production was predominantly small-scale and diversified: 92.5% of respondents kept local chickens and 87.5% kept broilers, while 92.5% reported extensive management. Most households (93.8%) indicated that poultry served both consumption and income purposes. Although direct consumption of own-produced chicken was infrequent, poultry income provided an important indirect food-security pathway: 100% of households reported that poultry income helped them cope with food shortages during the preceding six months, with income used mainly to purchase grains (63.1%) and vegetables (24.4%). Food insecurity was positively associated with household size and negatively associated with education, total household income, poultry-derived income, access to veterinary services and access to credit. The model explained 26.8% of the variation in HFIAS scores. However, the sector was constrained by high feed costs, climate-related risks, inadequate credit and disease outbreaks. Strengthening veterinary services, improving affordable finance and feed access, climate-resilient management, and producer-market linkages could increase the food-security benefits of smallholder poultry production in the study area.