Impacts of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme on Agricultural Market Development in Osun State, South West Nigeria

Public food procurement programmes such as the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme represent significant potential market development instruments for smallholder agriculture when designed with local sourcing requirements. In Osun State, one of the early implementing states of the programme, the linkages between school feeding procurement and smallholder agricultural market development have not been empirically examined. This study analysed the impacts of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme on agricultural market development in Osun State using data from 185 smallholder farmers and 40 food vendors operating as programme suppliers across four local government areas. Difference-in-differences estimation was applied using a comparison group of non-programme communities. Agricultural market development outcomes included farm gate prices, market participation rates, and commodity volume traded. Results showed that communities participating in the programme recorded 14 percent higher farm gate prices for programme commodities compared to control communities. Market participation rates increased by approximately 22 percent among participating farmers. However, procurement irregularities and delayed payments reduced the market certainty effects of the programme. The study recommends strengthening programme procurement governance, ensuring timely payments, and expanding the local sourcing mandate. Keywords: school feeding programme, agricultural market development, smallholder farmers, Osun State, public procurement.