Table 2 Mean and standard deviation for food secure and food insecure households in the three sites (p value <0.05)

Household size (#)

4.85 ± 1.78

3.90 ± 1.43

0.002

5.55 ± 2.09

4.24 ± 2.18

0.000

7.08 ± 2.60

5.39 ± 2.17

Age of the head household (#)

50.69 ± 12.75

56.64 ± 15.40

0.013

50.88 ± 13.71

56.04 ± 17.83

47.80 ± 13.13

51.29 ± 14.74

Livestock asset (#)

8.45 ± 10.12

8.70 ± 16.39

33.18 ± 34.20

38.40 ± 30.23

11.86 ± 42.01

4.59 ± 16.10

Domestic asset (#)

6.53 ± 4.25

6.24 ± 5.51

7.30 ± 6.33

7.32 ± 6.70

0.017

10.26 ± 5.52

8.38 ± 5.01

Productive asset (#)

7.08 ± 5.56

6.34 ± 6.21

13.05 ± 9.56

12.84 ± 11.43

15.56 ± 10.55

13.21 ± 7.50

Transport asset (#)

1.65 ± 7.24

1.26 ± 6.22

13.07 ± 31.97

9.15 ± 21.38

19.26 ± 22.57

13.01 ± 21.26

Maize yield (kg ha⁻¹)

667.13 ± 686.46

615.02 ± 544.71

186.97 ± 168.91

566.20 ± 582.03

922.24 ± 854.92

1298.65 ± 1235.87

Land per capita (ha)

0.66 ± 0.65

0.72 ± 0.47

1.30 ± 1.34

1.57 ± 1.36

1.61 ± 2.89

1.30 ± 1.27

Crops diversity (#)

2.83 ± 1.35

2.97 ± 1.09

5.01 ± 1.59

5.44 ± 1.81

0.019

5.40 ± 1.43

5.92 ± 1.60

Activity diversity (#)

9.20 ± 2.12

8.97 ± 2.28

8.36 ± 1.96

8.92 ± 2.36

5.79 ± 1.77

6.24 ± 1.92

No of non-ruminants (#)

16.84 ± 11.62

14.75 ± 24.05

28.62 ± 25.35

30.08 ± 23.54

19.19 ± 20.67

19.57 ± 20.10

No of cattle (#)

1.38 ± 1.66

1.36 ± 2.07

5.14 ± 5.45

5.44 ± 5.45

1.80 ± 6.70

0.65 ± 2.91

No of small ruminants (#)

6.64 ± 6.23

6.03 ± 11.25

14.51 ± 12.54

15.04 ± 11.74

9.60 ± 10.34

9.71 ± 9.97

Crop income (USD year⁻¹)

169.65 ± 263.45

135.45 ± 149.86

69.12 ± 111.68

94.68 ± 144.68

565.51 ± 809.30

471.58 ± 680.19

Livestock income (USD year⁻¹)

38.50 ± 105.42

19.77 ± 47.00

113.04 ± 145.00

74.97 ± 102.42

16.75 ± 33.44

17.03 ± 36.03

Off-farm income (USD year⁻¹)

235.38 ± 485.51

113.82 ± 149.63

535.97 ± 483.99

801.11 ± 915.99

966.30 ± 1161.61

677.84 ± 970.85

Tot income per capita (USD year⁻¹)

209.33 ± 646.87

300.04 ± 673.90

353.79 ± 395.74

507.21 ± 581.95

448.81 ± 644.17

588.76 ± 1244.21

Crop labour (man day⁻¹)

128.27 ± 134.29

181.25 ± 211.73

0.053

96.48 ± 84.61

96.77 ± 73.16

0.048

220.93 ± 207.90

164.41 ± 168.44

Livestock labour (man day⁻¹)

184.60 ± 168.70

147.62 ± 169.94

0.047

18.17 ± 17.29

25.44 ± 20.67

3.66 ± 3.12

3.68 ± 4.1

Market orientation (#)

31.67 ± 26.09

34.08 ± 25.25

24.58 ± 19.33

29.04 ± 26.26

68.46 ± 27.15

64.57 ± 26.02

Percentage of households

80.4

19.6

62.1

37.9

87.2

12.8