Cost analysis of on-farm adaptive research (OFAR) as a strategy for Hevea technology transfer in the rubber belt of Nigeria

Abstract

The study is a cost analysis of on-farm adaptive research (OFAR) as a strategy for technology transfer in Hevea plantation establishment in the rubber belt of Nigeria. Data were collected on 99 rubber contact farmers in both traditional and marginal rubber growing states of Nigeria in 2007/2008 planting season and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Empirical results of the analysis revealed that majority of the respondents (98.99%) cultivated between 1 and 4.99 hectares with a mean farm size of 0.82 hectares. Also, 74.75% of the contact farmers were from the traditional rubber belt of Nigeria. The cost analysis per hectare revealed high subsidy on rendering of technical services (71.42% or N 12,596.39) by Federal Government while 28.58% (N3, 600.00) was borne by contact farmers. Technical services rendered include marking out, lining out, holing and planting. Evaluation of cost of OFAR trials on the basis of rubber growing ecology revealed that it is more costly to establish one hectare in the marginal areas than in the traditional rubber belt. There is therefore the need for decentralization of the production of planting materials within economic radius of the farmers by collaborating with the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) of the States and Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria in the training of personnel to reduce the cost of rendering technical services to the farmers.