EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN FARMERS IN KANAM AND WASE AREAS OF PLATEAU STATE

Increasing attention is being accorded the potential role of women farmers in Plateau State due to their significance in sustainable agricultural development. However, production impediments have often diminished the hope to fully utilise such potentials for the benefit of humanity. A study was conducted in Kanam and Wase L.G.As to examine production characteristics of women farmers in the study areas. 200 women farmers were selected from 8 wards by simple random sampling technique. However, 198 responses were available for analysis Descriptive statistics – frequency and corresponding percentages is used for analysis. The result of the study revealed that greater number of the women range between ages of 30-39 years. (52.%) Married women were majority (72.22%), primary school leavers were majority (40.40%) majority of them operate on their husband’s farm (68.18%) major source of finance is personal savings (83.33%) major farm enterprise are cattle, sheep, goat, crops (100%). Major source of labour is family labour (50.51%) common size of farm holding is less than 2 hectares (65.66%) constraints identified includes: Non Accessibility to land ownership (98.48%)Iinadequate access to reliable source of loanable funds (89.%) Non availability of village level technology (100%). The conclusion is that their production level is characterized by small holder agriculture with associated impediments. In view of the importance attached to role of women in agriculture, significant effort is required through effective extension services to alleviate the burden of the women.Farm Management, Labor and Human Capital,

POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY BANKS IN AGRIBUSINESS FINANCING FOR SMALL FARMERS IN JOS SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE

Capital is regarded as a major factor for expanding production and modernizing Agriculture. The need to provide it to farmers is inevitable because it is an instrument in fostering Agricultural development and for improving efficiency in the production process. The contemporary practice of agriculture requires capital support, which is a handicap to small farmers. A research was conducted in Jos South L.G.A to assess the effectiveness of rural credit delivery system of community banks to provide resources to poor farmers. A set of 65 data collection instruments was administered to farmers and bank officials in a multi-stage random selection technique. Descriptive statistics was adopted to analyse socio-economic characteristics of the farmers while inferential statistics was adopted to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings revealed that majority of the farmers are yet to benefit from community banks (88%). The result of the hypotheses test indicates that information gap, inadequate and timely supply of inputs of production, time of loan disbursement, value of loan package are all statistically significant to sourcing of credit from the bank by farmers. It is recommended that farmer friendly banking policy be adopted to encourage farmers to patronize community banks.Agricultural Finance,

EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN FARMERS IN KANAM AND WASE AREAS OF PLATEAU STATE

Increasing attention is being accorded the potential role of women farmers in Plateau State due to their significance in sustainable agricultural development. However, production impediments have often diminished the hope to fully utilise such potentials for the benefit of humanity. A study was conducted in Kanam and Wase L.G.As to examine production characteristics of women farmers in the study areas. 200 women farmers were selected from 8 wards by simple random sampling technique. However, 198 responses were available for analysis Descriptive statistics – frequency and corresponding percentages is used for analysis. The result of the study revealed that greater number of the women range between ages of 30-39 years. (52.%) Married women were majority (72.22%), primary school leavers were majority (40.40%) majority of them operate on their husband’s farm (68.18%) major source of finance is personal savings (83.33%) major farm enterprise are cattle, sheep, goat, crops (100%). Major source of labour is family labour (50.51%) common size of farm holding is less than 2 hectares (65.66%) constraints identified includes: Non Accessibility to land ownership (98.48%)Iinadequate access to reliable source of loanable funds (89.%) Non availability of village level technology (100%). The conclusion is that their production level is characterized by small holder agriculture with associated impediments. In view of the importance attached to role of women in agriculture, significant effort is required through effective extension services to alleviate the burden of the women

POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY BANKS IN AGRIBUSINESS FINANCING FOR SMALL FARMERS IN JOS SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE

Capital is regarded as a major factor for expanding production and modernizing Agriculture. The need to provide it to farmers is inevitable because it is an instrument in fostering Agricultural development and for improving efficiency in the production process. The contemporary practice of agriculture requires capital support, which is a handicap to small farmers. A research was conducted in Jos South L.G.A to assess the effectiveness of rural credit delivery system of community banks to provide resources to poor farmers. A set of 65 data collection instruments was administered to farmers and bank officials in a multi-stage random selection technique. Descriptive statistics was adopted to analyse socio-economic characteristics of the farmers while inferential statistics was adopted to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings revealed that majority of the farmers are yet to benefit from community banks (88%). The result of the hypotheses test indicates that information gap, inadequate and timely supply of inputs of production, time of loan disbursement, value of loan package are all statistically significant to sourcing of credit from the bank by farmers. It is recommended that farmer friendly banking policy be adopted to encourage farmers to patronize community banks