Resource Productivity Analysis of Small Scale Root and Tuber Crop Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria

The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 150 randomly selected root and tuber crop farmers from the study area. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, frequency distribution table and percentages were used to summarize the variables used in the analysis while data envelopment analysis was used to empirically determine the resource productivity in the study area. The DEA result on the overall technical efficiency of the farmers showed that 6% of the sampled root and tuber crop farmers in the study area were operating at frontier and optimum level of production with mean technical efficiency of 1.00. Decomposition of technical efficiency also showed mean efficiency scores of 0.25 and 0.32 for overall technical efficiency and scale efficiency respectively meaning that, on average, the sampled farms were more scale efficient than they are technically efficient. The study further revealed that most of the farms could reduce total expenditures on the farm land, labour, planting material, agrochemical, fertilizer and capital inputs by 8.17%, 5.17%, 29.53%, 23.71%, 0.09% and 10.08%, respectively without reducing their current level of production. The study therefore recommended that root and tuber crop farmers in the study area should form cooperative societies so as to enable them have access to productive inputs that will enable them expand. This will as well increase efficiency of resource utilization. Also, since few farms were robustly efficient, the farmers in the study area, enhanced research, extension delivery and farm advisory services should be put in place for farmers to learn the best farm practices carried out on the robustly efficient farms. This will go a long way to increase the efficiency level of the farmers in the study area

Sustainability of Farm Level Practices among Cassava Farmers in Kwara and Nasarawa States, Nigeria

This study investigated the sustainability of farm level practices among cassava farmers in Kwara and Nasarawa States, Nigeria. Data were obtained directly from 256 respondents, selected through multistage random sampling technique, with the aid of structured questionnaire and interview schedules in six ADP zones of Kwara and Nasarawa States. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; farm level practices sustainability indicators and regression model. Results showed that majority of the respondents were male (94.1%) and married (97.7%) within the age bracket of 18 to 55years (79.6%) and up to 82.7% of them acquired some form of education. The results also indicated that mean household size was 10 and farm holdings was 2.9 hectares .Crop management was the most prevalent (59.2%) sustainable farm level practice while weed control was the least prevalent practice (1.6%) by cassava farmers in the study area. Regression analysis revealed that educational level (2.366), mean technical efficiency (2.617) and extension contact (3.886) had positive signs. This implies that a change in sign of mean technical efficiency, educational level and extension contact will led to increase in the level of sustainable farm practice among the cassava famers in the study area. Findings further revealed that shortage of extension services (100%) ranked first among the constraints faced by cassava famers in the study area. It is recommended that Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to fund further research to boost cassava production, enhance sustainable practices and package more comprehensive extension services since extension contact was found to be totally absent in the study area

Adaptive Capacity of Rural Women and their Potentials for Participating in Poverty Alleviation Programmes in Niger State, Nigeria

The study investigated the level and determinants of adaptive capacity among rural women Niger state. A Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 100 Women from three (3) peri-urban villages (Maikunkele, Bosso and Chanchaga) purposively selected based on the prevalence of poverty alleviation programmes as well as proximity to the State Capital and Federal University of Technology, Minna. The Primary data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, adaptive capacity and beta regression. The results revealed that the level of participation in the various PAPs was very low except in the case of National Health Insurance Scheme. Moreover, less than 10% of the women possess adequate capacity to participate in the PAPs. It was also observed that most of the factors either alone or in interaction with others tend to suppress the adaptive capacity of the women to participate in the PAPs. It was further noted that most of the respondents have not acquired beyond secondary education haven spent about 8 years in formal education, although completing College of Education was found to increase adaptive capacity by about 5%. The most serious constraint against full participation in the PAPs is lack of awareness of the programmes. There is need to integrate awareness and education in the programme document of any PAP in order to raise the level of participation above what is reported in this study

Adaptive Capacity of IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme Farmers to Climate Change Risks in North Central Nigeria

The study examined the level of adaptive capacity of International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) farmers to climate change in North Central Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the selection of respondents. A total of 483 respondents were selected for this study. Adaptive capacity index in addition to descriptive statistics were the analytical tools engaged in this study. The study revealed that the beneficiaries of programme in Benue State focused more on the household level adaptation strategies, while the beneficiaries in Niger State focused more on the farm level adaptation strategies. Meanwhile, the farmers employed both farm and household level adaptation strategies so as to reduce the impact of climate change on their welfare. An average respondent in Benue State is moderately adaptive to the strategies used with average adaptive capacity value of 0.55, while an average respondent in Niger State is highly adaptive to the strategies used with average adaptive capacity value of 0.68. A typical respondent in the study area is a moderate adapter with average adaptive capacity of 0.62. Educational systems that encourages skills acquisition seems to make more impact on adaptive capacity than those that are purely theoretical. It was therefore recommended that government and NGOs should assist in increasing the adaptive capacity of the farmers by conducting educational campaign and training on climate change and adaptation techniques, making reliable climate and weather information accessible to all farmers, climate change should be mainstreamed in all agricultural institutions and organizations, and also need for integration and collaboration between several government and non-governmental organizations involved in climate change adaptation for the usefulness of the recipient farmer at the local level