Abstract

Income derived from non-farm activities by rural household serve to augment cash from sales of agricultural products. This article examined diversification into farm and non-farm activities among rural households in Emure local government area of Ekiti State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 240 rural farm households, but only 221 questionnaires were completed. Data collected were described using frequency distribution, percentages and mean. Results revealed that most sample households had low-income, with mean monthly income of ?6,215.50 for farming and ?2,475.50 for non-farm activities. Majority (62.90%) of the rural household engaged in farming with non-farm activities, 24.43% in farming activities only, while 12.67% were involved in only non-farm activities. Rural farm households were distributed into different types of activities (farm and non-farm) categorized into farming (production), manufacturing, sales, services and enterprise. Rural farm households made use of increasingly diverse combinations of resources and assets to meet up with their rising needs by seeking alternative sources of income through engagement in both farm and non-farm activities.

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