Agriculture and Food Security    

The greatest potential of the district is agriculture and the people are predominantly farmers. About 70 per cent of the population is actively engaged in agricultural related ventures with about 65 per cent in subsistence agriculture. Production and productivity especially in the area of cereals and legumes has increased remarkably as a result of intervention made by Food Crops Development Projects. The District enjoys about 65% extension coverage.

Agricultural activities in the district are mainly limited to rain fed agriculture. The District has vast fertile and arable land available for farming. The Department of Agriculture in the District has elaborate plans under the National Medium-Term Development Policy Framework (NMTDPF) targeted at accelerated Agriculture Modernization. The thrust of this target includes Agriculture Mechanization, the rehabilitation, expansion and promotion of the use of existing irrigation facilities and infrastructure along with interventions to promote the development of small scale community based irrigation schemes. Several other Government Agriculture Policies and programmes including the Root and Tuber Improvement Programme, Block Farming, Animal Production Services and activities under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority are being implemented in the district.

The rearing of cattle is the lead animal production activity in the district and several herds of cattle and kraals can be found in the district. Small ruminants including sheep and goats are also commonly reared in almost every town and village.

The main crops grown are cassava, yams, groundnuts, pepper, maize, cowpeas, Figure 1 refers.  Mixed cropping is mostly practised. A greater number of the farmers use hoes, axes and cutlasses as farm implements while very few use tractors for tilling.

Other crops grown in the district include oil palm, soya beans, groundnuts and tomatoes.  Fishing is also a major activity of a good number of households in the district. Various types of fresh water fish is normally harvested in the rivers.  Some of the fish types include; tilapia, mud fish, “gear box”, and tug fish. There are very few small scale agro-based processing industries in the district. Most agricultural produce is sold raw.
The main stable food crops of the people of the district are yam, cassava and maize which are produced abundantly. Generally food is sufficiently available and very accessible and affordable during most part of the year.
There is however, a significant food scarcity in the district during the months of June, July and August. The peak of food scarcity is in July when the prices of yams and maize are at their highest.

Food production in the district is largely at the peasant level. The perishable nature of yams cum the difficulties farmers face in their bid to store and preserve food items generally bring about the periodic shortages in the district. The activities of middlemen who trade in food items between the district and urban areas and the improved nature of roads and transport also contributes to the speedy exportation of food from the district.

Mushroom Farming

This is another potential that needs  serious attention  to create  job opportunities and wealth creation  for the youths  to attract them into mushroom farming as way of overcome poverty in the district. 

Soya Beans Processing

The is district is endowed with soya bean production which needs serious attention and investment drive in processing the soya beans  which are used for various domestic and commercial economic ventures . The district needs partnership with an investors to process the products in that direction to create income generation for the people in the district.

Jethropha Planting

The demand for alternative means of fuel consumption and continuous increasing of crude oil in the world market price   globally. Jethropha seedling has been identified as an alternative in production of biodiesel which needs serious attention by investment. The District has cultivated some of the plants which need some investor to support it in large cultivation and processing for commercial purpose.   
 
Sheanut Processing

There are a lot of shea nuts trees  scattered through out the district  there is  need to utilize the product into important economic activities through  processing to generate income for the people

Moringa Production

Moringa plants is highly noted  for it medicinal properties which is widely used globally these plants is very common  in the district which can be used for research for herbal medicinal products.