Adoption of climate change adaption techniques and its impact on net farm income of maize farmers in Southwest, Nigeria

Understanding the determinants of climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder maize farmers in South-west, Nigeria

The level of adoption of multiple climate change adaptation strategies: Evidence from smallholder maize farmers in Southwest Nigeria

This study was undertaken to identify factors that influence smallholder maize farmers’ technical efficiency and farm Management practices in The West Region of Cameroon. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 maize farmers from eight divisions. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function. Results show that age, farming experience, maize variety, and extension contact were identified as key factors that influence farmers’ technical efficiency. The mean technical efficiency shows that maize farmers’ output could be increased using the available technology. The estimated production function further revealed that farm size, labor, the quantity of fertilizer, and the quantity of seed significantly influenced maize production. Farming experience, extension contact, maize variety, and household size are positively and significantly related to their technical efficiency. Results show that maize production is profitable in the study area with an average profit of 35,000 FCFA per hectare despite poor record-keeping, an inadequate mechanism to finance family farms, and a lack of improved varieties. To raise maize production, the government should assist smallholder maize farmers by constructing good roads and providing input subsidies. Further, experienced farmers should be encouraged to remain in farming activities since they can acquire and master all stages of production. Efforts should also be made by the government to ensure efficient and viable extension contact.KeywordsTechnical efficiencyMaize farmersFarm managementSocioeconomic factorsProfitability

Adoption of multiple sustainable land management practices and its effects on productivity of smallholder maize farmers in Nigeria

Purpose This paper aims to understand the perception of smallholder farmers on climate change, identify major livestock related climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies and their determinants in selected neighboring districts of Tigray and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach A total of 416 household heads were involved in a questionnaire survey using a multistage sampling approach. To understand the socio-economic factors that influence farmers’ perception on climate change (CC) and/or variability, a binary logit model was used. Multinomial logit model was used to identify the determinants of smallholder farmers’ choices of adaptation strategies. Findings Milk reduction, weight loss, feed shortage and frequent animal disease outbreak were indicated as major impacts of CC on livestock production. About 86.2% of the farmers’ exercise CCA measures where livestock health care and management (25%), followed by livelihood diversification (21.5%) and shifting and diversification of livestock species (20.9%) were the top three adaptation measures implemented. Education, knowledge on CCA strategies, access to veterinary service and extension, market access, annual income, non-farm income, total livestock unit, sex of household head and household size were the major determinant factors to farmers’ choice of CCA. Research limitations/implications Concerned authorities working in CC related sectors should give due attention to improve smallholder farmers’ access to extension and veterinary services, market access and climate information to enhance their adaptive capacity to CC impacts. In addition, incorporating climate change awareness trainings into the existing extension packages is crucial to enhance the awareness of farmers on climate change and implement appropriate adaptation strategies. Moreover, it is very essential to provide appropriate herd management and marketing strategy based on the production system to avoid the significant price reduction during drought periods. Practical implications Concerned authorities working in CC related sectors should give due attention to improve smallholder farmers’ access to extension and veterinary services, market access and climate information to enhance their adaptive capacity to CC impacts. In addition, incorporating climate change awareness trainings into the existing extension packages is crucial to implement appropriate adaptation strategies. Moreover, it is very essential to provide appropriate herd management and marketing strategy based on the production system to avoid the significant price reduction during drought periods. Originality/value This research is focused on smallholder crop-livestock farmers, livestock-based CCASs and presents the determinant factors to their choice of adaptation.

Climate change perception and its impact on net farm income of smallholder rice farmers in South-West, Nigeria

Smallholder maize farmers are typically engaged in subsistence production with low input use, low yields, and insufficient profits for on-farm investment. Despite the role of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in enhancing financial inclusion and promoting agricultural commercialization, little is known about the factors driving smallholder farmers' participation in these associations and how this affects maize commercialization, particularly in northern Uganda. This study sought to examine VLSA membership and commercialization among smallholder maize farmers in northern Uganda. This study specifically examined the factors influencing maize farmers' participation in VSLAs and assessed the factors influencing the level of maize commercialization among VSLA members and non-members. Data were collected from 420 randomly selected smallholder maize farmers and were analyzed using binary logistic and Tobit regression models. Results revealed that 52% of the farmers participated in VSLA while non-participants had maize commercialization levels of 61%. Further, male gender, age, household size, fresh maize form, hire labor, extension service, market information, phone information, access to credit, and land ownership significantly influenced maize farmers’ participation in VSLAs. Factors influencing the level of maize commercialization among VSLA member farmers include age, educational status, spot market, hire labor, land ownership, farm income, and distance to the output market. The study recommends that the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) should implement policies focused on improving access to financial services, promoting gender-sensitive training programs, and investing in rural infrastructure to reduce market access barriers, which will foster maize commercialization and economic development among smallholder farmers.

The study examined the effects of climate change adaption strategies on maize production efficiency in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 100 respondents for the study. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). The results revealed that maize farmers were in their productive age with mean age of 31years. Majority (55%) of the maize farmers were married. The average household size, farm size and years of farming experience were 6 persons, 2.5 hectares and 8 years of experience in farming, respectively. The result on the climate change adaptation strategies used by the maize farming households revealed that most of the farmers adopted adjustment Improved/multiple varieties (17.6%), multiple planting dates (18%) and fertilizer application (20.6%) as climate change adaptation strategies in the study area. The result of predicted Stochastic Frontier model showed that the minimum and maximum technical efficiencies (TE) of the maize farmers were 0.11 and 0.98, respectively, with the mean efficiency of 0.88. This showed that if the efficiency of resources usage is increased by 12.0 percent, the maize farmers would operate on the production frontier given the existing technology. The result on the influence of climate change adaptation strategies used by maize farmers in the study area further revealed that the coefficient of farm size, fertilizer and agrochemicals had positive relationship with the value of maize output at P≤0.05, P≤0.10 and P≤0.01 levels, respectively. The result of the inefficiency model revealed that improved/multiple varieties and fertilizer application increased inefficiency of maize production at P≤0.05 and P≤0.10 levels, respectively, while alternative tillage practices decreased inefficiency of maize production at P≤0.01 level. The study concluded that maize production in the study area was not optimally efficient. The study recommended that farmers should be provided with credit facilities to help improve their capacity to adapt to climate change. Also, development partners should focus on awareness creation of farmers on better production techniques and climate change adaptation strategies through mass media and agricultural extension.

Adoption of drought tolerant maize varieties and farmers’ access to credit in Nigeria: Implications on productivity

The study determines the livelihood strategies of maize farmers under the Climate Change Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme (CASP) in Jigawa State, Nigeria, using sustainable livelihood analysis. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 242 participating maize farmers, and primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and Multivariate Probit models were used for data analysis. The results discovered that the major livelihood strategies adopted by maize farmers under CASP were on-farm, such as food and cash crop production 86% and livestock, dairy and poultry production 79%, off-farm, such as crop and livestock marketing 98% and non-farm, such as trades/trading 34% and pottery, weaving and handicraft 33%. The Multivariate Probit regression analysis indicated that age, farm size, extension visits and Community Development Associations (CDAs) membership significantly influenced maize farmers under CASP on the on-farm livelihood strategies at different levels of significance. Age and CDAs membership significantly influenced maize farmers under CASP on the off-farm livelihood strategies and household size, extension visits, CDAs membership and farm size significantly influenced maize farmers under CASP on the non-farm livelihood strategies. The study recommended that the maize farmers under CASP should gather money through CDAs for private extension services and the government should raise funding for extension programmes, train more agents and confirm systematic visits to rural farming communities. The government should offer capacity-building grants and legal support to Community Development Associations to boost their role in on-farm activities development.

Welfare impact of improved maize varieties adoption and crop diversification practices among smallholder maize farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examines the problems of low productivity, inefficiency and food insecurity among smallholder farmers in Zambia despite the efforts of input subsidy programs such as the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to enhance access to improved seeds and fertilisers. Using a counterfactual non-ex- perimental design approach, this study uses a sample of 404 maize farmers (234 FISP beneficiaries and 170 non-beneficiaries) across the Southern province of Zambia. An initial probit regression model was used to identify the determinants of FISP access, and an endogenous switching regression model was used to measure the effect of FISP access on maize yield and income. The results show that age, household size, marital status, cooperative membership, and off-farm income are all positively related to FISP access, while gender, farm size, and farming experience are all negatively related to FISP access. The endogenous switching regression results suggest that FISP access is a real boon for beneficiaries in terms of increasing maize yield and farm income. For instance, beneficiaries of FISP would have harvested 144.97kg/ha less maize and earned 744.69 ZMW less in the absence of input subsidy. On the other hand, the non-beneficiaries would have harvested 730.815kg/ha more maize and earned 2233.09 ZMW more if they had accessed the input subsidy. These results show that FISP positively impacts agricultural production and economic returns and calls for targeted policies that address gender barriers, support smallholder farmers, and improve cooperative structures.

This study focused on evaluation of maize farmers’ attitude towards risk management and preference for crop insurance in Nigeria. Multi-stage method of sampling was used. One hundred (100) maize producers were sampled and selected. Primary sources of data were used for this study and the data were collected through the use of well-structured and well-designed questionnaire. Econometrics and statistical tools employed were used for data analysis. The results obtained show that 51% of maize farmers were risk averse, 21% were risk preferring, and 28% were risk neutral. Age, gender, and education level were statistically and significant predictors influencing risk averse attitudes of maize farmers. Age, farm size, household size, gender, risk aversion, education level, and access to agricultural extension services were the statistically and significant predictors influencing preference of maize farmers for crop insurance policy. Garrett index ranking technique employed for risk management strategies and crop insurance policy adopted by maize farmers show that crop diversification was ranked 1st, weather information was ranked 2nd, crop insurance was ranked 3rd, and off-farm activities was ranked 4th respectively. The results of constraints faced by maize producers revealed that lack of extension services was ranked 1st, lack of credit facilities was ranked 2nd, inadequate knowledge of agricultural insurance was ranked 3rd, high premium of agricultural insurance was ranked 4th, while lack of fertilizer was ranked 5th respectively. The constraints retained explained 74.85% of all constraints in the analysis. The study recommends that extension officers should be employed to disseminate research results, innovations and information on risk management strategies and crop insurance to maize farmers. Weather information should be made available to maize farmers, and credit facilities at low interest rate should be provided to maize farmers. Bureaucratic process and cumbersome administrative procedures in accessing credit facilities should be removed.

Lack of marketable surplus is a major constraint to commercialization among smallholder farmers. Therefore, this study analyzed commercialization among smallholder maize farmers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Multistage sampling technique was used to sample 180 maize farmers across the territory. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; while the Household Commercialization Index (HCI) was used to measure extent to which a household crop (maize) production is oriented towards the market. It also quantifies and estimates the factors that influence the level of commercialization using the multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that majority of maize farmers were in their active age with relatively large households. Most of the maize farmers were commercially oriented with commercialization index of 0.57. The regression result revealed that age of maize farmers, farm size and household size positively and significantly influenced the level of commercialization of maize. There is the need for capacity building of maize farmers on production techniques and effective marketing of their output. To increase commercialization of smallholder farmers, there is the need for them to form strong and viable cooperative groups so that they can have access to more fund for expanded production.

This study focused on the determinants of welfare status and net farm income among smallholder sorghum farmers in North West, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select 140 smallholder sorghum farmers. Primary data were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that the mean age of smallholder sorghum farmers was 47 years. The smallholder sorghum farmers were literate with approximate of 11 years of school education. Approximate 75% of smallholder sorghum farmers were members of cooperative organizations. Averagely, the farm size was estimated at 1.5 hectares, this means they are small-scale farmers. The gross margin and net farm income were calculated at 557175.35 and 518022.45 Naira per hectare, respectively. This shows that sorghum production is profitable. The total income and expenditure were estimated at 12192714.72 and 476439.76 Naira, respectively. The sorghum farmer household income exchange was calculated at 2.56. Approximate 97 which amounted to 69.29% of smallholder farmers had increased in welfare status from sorghum farming. The age of farmers, level of education, household size, farm experience, farm size, and amount of credit accessed were significantly different from zero in influencing the welfare status of smallholder sorghum farmers. The farm size and labour were significantly different from zero in influencing the net farm income of smallholder sorghum farmers. The study recommends mechanized farming utilizing improved seeds and new farm technologies to increase productivity, income and welfare status.