Contribution of Market Gardening to Household Food Security in DOUM-DOUM Commune, Lake Province, Chad

Objectives: Off-season market gardening is regarded as a means of diversifying diets and generating income. This study aimed to analyse the contribution of market gardening to household food security in DOUM-DOUM Commune, Lake Province. Study Design: Cross-sectional quantitative survey. Place and Duration of Study: DOUM-DOUM Commune, Lake Province, Chad, from November 2024 to April 2025. Methodology: A quantitative survey was conducted among 60 market-gardening households, with 59 usable questionnaires, randomly selected from three purposively selected villages. A structured questionnaire collected sociodemographic, agricultural, and economic data. A multiple linear regression model identified the determinants of annual income from market gardening. Household Dietary Diversity Scores (HDDS) and Food Consumption Scores (FCS) were calculated. Results: Households were predominantly male-headed (94.9%), aged 31- 40 years (40.7%), and had primary education only (76.3%). Onion (27.1%) and tomato (22.0%) were the main crops. Market gardening was the primary source of income for 30.5% of households. Mean annual income from market gardening was 548,200 FCFA. The regression model was globally significant (F 14, 44) = 12.57; P < 0.001; adjusted R² = 0.74) and showed that cultivated area (β = 0.814; P < 0.001), fertilization (β = 0.128; P = 0.025), and irrigation investment (β = 0.141; P = 0.011) significantly increased income. Access to credit had a positive but only marginally significant effect (β = 0.118; P = 0.056). High-income market-gardening households had an HDDS of 9.2 versus 6.4 for low-income households and a reduced lean season of 1.8 months versus 4.2 months. Conclusion: Market gardening effectively contributes to food security through daily self-consumption and monetary access to food. Improving access to land, fertilization and irrigation is a priority, while credit remains a secondary factor. These results argue for prioritizing interventions to sustainably strengthen food security in the Sahelo-lacustrine zone.