DETERMINANTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING REUSABLE PLASTICS CRATE (RPCs) TECHNOLOGY USAGE AMONG FADAMA III TOMATO FARMERS IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study analyzed the determinants of socio-economic and institutional factors influencing reusable Plastics Crate (RPCs) technology usage among fadama III Tomato Farmers in Kano State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling techniques were used for the study and primary data were collected from a sample of three hundred and twelve (312) smallholder tomato farmers, using structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics such as Double-Hurdle model. Findings of the study showed that tomato farmers were young with an average of 41 years and relative experience of 18 years in tomato farming and had an average of 12 persons per household. The result of post-harvest storage in use revealed that 63.78% of the smallholder tomato farmers were using TWBs to store their tomatoes. The remaining 36.22% were using RPCs to store their tomato fruit in the study area. Double hurdle analysis result indicated that socioeconomic factors such as farming experience, access to credit, income and marriage influence the use of RPCs technology. On the other hand, household size, farm size, farming experience, income, access to credit and marriage influence the intensity of using RPCs technology. The study recommends that rural development policies should be put in place to promote awareness on the RPCs technology through relatively experienced farmers that have access to credit with relatively large farm holding to reduce post-harvest losses and subsequently improve the livelihood of Fadama III tomato farmers.