ANALYSIS IN DETERMINING FACTORS INFLUENCING RICE FARMS PRODUCTIVITY IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

A great impediment to achieving food security in Nigeria is the low productivity of most staple food crops, which has translated to limited food availability for the populace. These have jeopardized the efforts made by the Nigerian government towards food security. Government emphasis geared towards improving input use, and development of improved seed varieties while the root causes of low productivity of staple foods are left unattended to. This research centered on analysis in determining factors influencing rice farms productivity in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Four hundred and seventy-six (476) rice farms were selected through multi-stage sampling procedure. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire, and analyzed using mean, percentage, Total Factor Productivity (TFP), and regression method. The result shows that extension visit, household size, and rice farm size had positive influence on rice farms productivity while age of the farmer and quantity of herbicide had a negative influence on rice farms productivity. Result further revealed that 1% increase in herbicide quantity, will decrease rice farm productivity by 4%. Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and other non-governmental agencies that have the mandate of agricultural development in Nigeria, should intensify efforts in training rice farmers in better rice production practices with more emphasis on herbicide usage. In-depth soil analysis should be conducted in Ebonyi soil to ascertain herbicide compatibility with the soil.