Monetary Policies And Credit Financing As Factors In Agricultural Productivity In Cross River State

The study evaluates the influence of credit policies on institutional lending behaviour of farmers in Cross River State. It also ascertains the relationship between credit and agricultural development. Using econometric methods, results reveal that credit quota and portfolio lending devices and pursuit of cheap interest rate polices has negative effect on credit supply while policies associated with plough back of rural savings mobilization and availability of guarantee were marginally effective. Results also show that farmers demand for credit was influenced mainly by the availability of credit subsidies and availability of guarantees. Also, the study showed that a positive but inelastic relationship exist between credit and agricultural output. Finally, it was revealed that some factors which militate against the effectiveness of agricultural credit polices include lack of viable technologies, defective production environments and wrong perception of the roles of credit in development. An agenda for credit policy reforms stressed the need to evolve and adopt policies, which foster desirable financial technologies, which serve both the interest of institutional borrowers and lenders. Keywords: Agricultural Productivity, Credit policies, Agricultural development, Monetary policies and Cross River State Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 1-

Structure of Afatura goat market Obubra local government area of Cross River state

No Abstract.Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 6 (1) 2007: pp.55-5

Rural Women Empowerment: A Panacea For National Development

This paper examines the role of women in the process of national development. Because a large number of them live in the rural areas, it is the view that qualitative national development which is human-centered cannot be complete if a part of those who should sum up to make a total (rural women) are neither recognised, acknowledged or given the access to realise their optimum potentials. Despite the fact that rural women produce more than half of the nation’s agricultural labour force and food supply, it is still intriguing to realize that they have far less access than men to such empowermentindicators as land, education, extension services and credit facilities among others. If the potentials of women are to be brought to limelight, changes have to occur to address these socially embedded inequities which hold women back. There is thus a need to formulate and implement programmes,the priorities of which should include the access of rural women to land, extension services, credit facilities and gender education. This is to enhance necessary positive gender mainstreaming at all levels of society

Farmers Awareness Of Sources Of Credit For Improved Farm Practices In Cross River State, Nigeria

Agricultural credit is not only important for accelerating agricultural development but also for improving farmers efficiency. The use of credit has great potentials in alleviating rural poverty since farmers can be empowered through this process. This study examined extent to which farmers in Cross River State are aware of sources of credit (loan) for improved farm practices. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. This procedure recognized the delineation of the study area into zones, blocks and cells. . In the selection of respondents, a list of registered farmers per cell was obtained from CRADP, three farmers were selected per cell using simple random sampling method. This gave a total of 126 respondents. Analysis of the data revealed that 6.34, 7.14 and 3.17 percent of the respondents were aware of the different sources of Agricultural Credit Services in Northern, Central and Southern zones of the State respectively. While highest level of awareness was recorded for the Rotatory Savings and Credit Associations (20.63 %) in the Informal Credit Sources Category, Money Lenders recorded an average of 10.31% awareness; Friends, Relatives and Neighbours had awareness score of 21.43% and Produce Buyers/Merchants 11.90%. Radio, Village Extension Agents, Family Members and Neighbours constituted the major sources of information for credit acquired by farmers which were ranked first, second, third and fourth, respectively Keywords: Credit (Loan), Awareness, and Agricultural Development.Global Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 5-

Policy Priorities In Rural Women Empowerment Sustainability, Poverty And Food Security In Nigeria

The indispensable role of women in agricultural, rural and economic development has roused attention in recent times. At least one-third the word’s rural households are headed by women whose productive and reproductive responsibilities provide for the entire family, community and informal and formal economies. The female gender can not be sidelined while discussing issues of poverty and food security. In like manner, equitability can not be divorced from sustainability as it is one major issue in sustainability. History has revealed that Nigerian women are not always allowed by men to exert themselves fully. Some encumbrances are placed on the road to development of the feminine gender by the society. Such inequities are structural institutions that represent patriarchal and hegemonic interests. Changes have to occur in order to address the socially embedded inequities experienced by women through the various empowerment strategies introduced by past and present Nigerian governments. There is a need to formulate and implement agricultural policies and programmes the priorities of which should include easy access of women to extension services, ICTs, credit and land among others

Profit Margin Analysis Of The Response Of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) To Phosphorus Fertilizer And Poultry Manure In Ovonum, Obubra, Cross River State, Nigeria

Investigations were carried out to determine the growth, yield and profitability of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), growth with different levels of phosphorus fertilizer and poultry manure. A randomised complete block design (RCBD) was used and the total treatments were four namely: 0.0kgP2O5/ha, 0.20kgP2O5/ha, 0.40kg P2O5/ha and Poultry droppings from broilers (10 tons/ha). The results showed that yield performance was better in manured than in control plots. Responses varied with different levels of phosphorus application in terms of yields. Effects of the phosphorus fertilizer (Single Super phosphate with 16 to 20 percent of P2O5 containing in addition, twelve percent (12%) of sulphur and more than twenty percent (20% ) of calcium [Ca ] were superior to organic manure (poultry droppings). The fresh weight of cowpea under the different manurial regimes were 5.25kg and 1.80kg for phosphorus and poultry droppings respectively. Comparatively, the profit margin (N61.88) for phosphorus fertilizer at 0.40kgp2o5/ha for year 2003 while in year 2004 the profit margin (N62.08) for phosphorus fertilizer at 0.40kgp2o5/ha .The profit margin for year 2004 was better than that of year 2003.A strong case is however made for poultry manure in this era of organic agriculture, where production is expected to be as close to nature as possible. Fertilising cowpea plots with poultry manure, would definitely help assuage the problem of the projected heavy tonnage of poultry waste as a result of increased poultry production. Poultry manure is an affordable option for the resource-poor farmer. Studies are however, on going to elucidate current fertilizer rates as well as develop optimum fertilizer formulae for intensive cowpea cultivation in the area. Effective extension services as well as efficient policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation by government are recommended. Keywords: Cowpea, profitability, phosphorus, organic fertilizer,Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol. 4 (2) 2006: pp. 40-4