This study was carried out to estimate poverty gap between female and male headed farm families
in Ukwani Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was
used to select 7 out of the 10 communities that make up the LGA. From each of these selected communities
10 respondents were selected from a list of farm families drawn with assistance of extension officers covering
the area. This gave a total sample size of 70 respondents. The study was conducted in 2008. Various methods
were employed in analyzing the data, including descriptive statistical tools and inferential statistics such as
t-test and ordinary least square regression analysis. Results of the study indicate that the farmers were
characteristically smallholders with about 50% of males and 83% of female household heads having not >1.50
ha of farm. On the poverty levels of the households, it was found that the core poverty and moderate poverty
lines for male, female and all households were x4078, x2217 and x3376 and x8146, x5435 and x6752,
respectively. This implies that poverty was wide spread among the farm households especially the female
headed ones. A test analysis to determine the effect of selected socioeconomic characteristics of the household
heads on their levels of poverty indicates that four variables were significantly related to the household poverty
levels, namely level of formal education, family size, farm size and household monthly income (p#0.05). A
number of recommendations were made including the need for family planning among the rural households so
that they produce only the number of children they can take care of to guarantee them minimum acceptable
standard of living.