IMPACT OF PROMOTED IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN THE SUDAN SAVANNAH TASK FORCE OF KANO-KATSINA-MARADI PILOT LEARNING SITES

IMPACT OF PROMOTED IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN THE SUDAN SAVANNAH TASK FORCE OF KANO-KATSINA-MARADI PILOT LEARNING SITES

Abstract:

In Kano and Katsina States of Nigeria, some promoted improved crop production practices have been tested since 2008 in a series of farmer-managed field trials in four Innovation Platforms (two each in Kano and Katsina States). The broad objective of this study was to assess the impact of improved crop production practices of Sudan Savannah Task Force (SSTF) among farmers in Katsina State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine the rates and intensities of adoption, identify and evaluate the factors that influence the adoption of improved crop production practices of SSTF, determine the impact of improved crop production practices of SSTF on the income and technical efficiency of the farming households, identify and evaluate the determinants of escape from poverty among the crop farmers and identify and describe the constraints militating against crops production in the study area. The study used primary data collected in 2011 cropping season with the aid of questionnaires from 300 farming households spanning four Local Government Areas in Katsina State, Nigeria. A sample of households was selected by taking a sample of LGAs; a random sample of villages within each LGA; a random sample of households in each selected village. 30 villages were selected within the clean, conventional and treatment sites. Altogether, 10 households were randomly selected in each village giving a total of 300 households interviewed in the State. The tools used for analysis of the data were: descriptive statistics, adoption index, logistic regression, the double difference estimator, Cobb Douglas stochastic production function and probit regression analysis. The results showed that, out of the 231 crop farmers that had access to SSTF crop technologies, only 59.31% adopted them. The estimated mean adoption rates for the introduced new varieties of maize, sorghum, cowpea, millet and groundnut in the study area were: 67%, 46%, 54%, 46% and 52% respectively. The adopters of the introduced technologies enjoyed an increment of 844.35% in income. The result further showed that the probability of adoption of the recommended SSTF crop production practices was found to decline with increases in the farmer‟s age, household size, farm size and land tenure variables, while the likelihood of adoption increases with increase in years of crop production experience, years of schooling, amount of credit used, access to extension visit, and average annual income variables. The average technical efficiency of grain farmers was 0.801. The mean technical efficiency for the adopters and non-adopters were 0.87 and 0.65 respectively. The minimum and maximum technical efficiencies estimates for the adopters were 0.59 and 0.92 respectively, while for non-adopters they were 0.28 and 0.83 respectively. Results of evaluation of determinants to escape from poverty among crop farmers in the study area found all the explanatory variables except age of farmers, household size and land tenure to be significant at least in 10% level of probability. The parameters of years of crop production experience and years of schooling revealed that probability to escape from poverty significantly increase (P<0.01) as farmers‟ years of crop production experience and schooling increases. Also, the likelihood to escape from poverty positively increased (P<0.10) with the amount of credit used by farmers and access to extension visit. The coefficient of adoption was positive and significant. (P<0.10), providing what was referred to as the Average Treatment Effect (ATE). Farm size variable related positively and significantly (P<0.05) to the chances to escape from poverty. Market distance was statistically significant (P<0.01) but negatively related to the propensity to escape from poverty. High cost and scarcity of inputs, low profit from crop production, problems of output transportation, difficulties in processing and storage, inconsistency in government policy, lack of market information, low quality of produce, and limited output market outlets were the most prominent problems militating against crop production in the study area. The study concludes that the introduced technologies enhanced the income and efficiency in crop production of the adopters. Some key recommendations from the study were: (i) Strong linkages should be established between farmers and seed/fertilizer sources to improve timely availability of these inputs; (ii) Construction of good access roads that will ease the transportation of crop outputs to major markets.

IMPACT OF PROMOTED IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN THE SUDAN SAVANNAH TASK FORCE OF KANO-KATSINA-MARADI PILOT LEARNING SITES

Sharing is caring!