Introduction Agricultural productivity and food security are mutually inexclusive of each other and the only way to achieve food security is through increase in agricultural productivity. Food insecurity in Nigeria has aggravated the suffering of people owing to the fact that food is identified to be one of the basic needs of life. Hence, the objectives of this research include; identification of the existing land area devoted for rural development (rural land), identification of the land area devoted to farming by the selected respondents in the selected area, examination of problems of agricultural productivity and the examination of the Integrated Rural Development as a strategy and its adoption in the study area. Methodology Purposive sampling method was adopted and three (3) settlements were selected, namely; Ilaro, Iwoye, and Ajilete. The 3 rural settlements were purposively selected. The Yamane Sampling Size Method of Computation was adopted and 133 respondents (farmers) were selected in each of the selected settlements (making a total of 399 respondents), for data collection on problems encountered in agricultural practices. Results and Discussion The rural land of the Ogun State is 15.405.56 km2 while that of the study area is 381.764 representing 2.48%. In Ajilete, 66 respondents are small scale farmers out of 133 respondents (farmers), representing 50%, while in Ilaro, 97 respondents are farmer with small scale farming, representing 73%, and in Iwoye, 100 respondents are farmers with small scale farming out of 133 respondents (farmers) representing 75%. Research result revealed both the smallholder and the commercial farmers are faced with inaccessibility to modern equipment and modern technology storage facilities, reducing levels of agricultural productivity. This strategy is an agglomeration of three (3) strategies, namely; the Agricultural Strategy which is targeted at optimum level of cultivation; the Infrastructure Strategy which is focused on the provision of adequate infrastructural facilities; and the Community Participation Strategy. Conclusion This research’s submission is that the only way to solve problems associate with food security is through the optimisation of rural agricultural potentials, and this is achievable when the strategy implemented. Hence, the adoption of the strategy is recommended with its proper implementation. Keyword: Food Security, Agricultural Development, Integrated Strategy.
Sodiya Olurotimi Oluyemi