Socio-economic factors affecting the adoption of farm chemicals by small-scale rice farmers in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the socio-economic factors influencing the adoption of farm chemicals among small-scale rice farmers in Abuja, Nigeria, with four specific objectives. Questionnaire was used to solicit for information from 200 rice farmers for the study. Descriptive statistics and logit regression model were employed to analyze the primary data. The study's findings revealed that approximately 27.5% of farm chemical adopters were female, while 53.5% were male. Moreover, 64.5% of the farm chemical adopters were married, contrasting with 14.5% of the non-adopters who were married. Additionally, around 47% of farm chemical adopters possessed fields measuring between 1 and 1.75 hectares. Furthermore, 39% of the adopters were affiliated with more than one farmer group or cooperative. Analyzing the data, the study determined that the Chi2 value was 3601.125, with a corresponding likelihood ratio statistic of p<0.0000. The results of the regression analysis indicated that out of the eight variables examined, only two exhibited statistically significant and positive influences on the adoption of farm chemicals. These two factors were farm size (p<0.01) and membership in a cooperative society or farmer-group (p<0.05). The study also observed diversified sources for farmers obtaining farm chemicals, such as Agricultural Development Programme (17.4%), marketplaces (78.3%), cooperative societies (3.1%), and Non-Governmental Organizations (1.2%). The research identified several constraints faced by the farmers, including the high cost of improved rice varieties for planting (10%), inadequate extension services (25%), scarcity of improved rice varieties for planting (5%), insufficient funds for investing in rice production (20%), damages caused by grazing livestock and conflicts with herdsmen (7.5%), inadequate processing facilities (2.5%), limited access to tractors (1.5%), restricted access to markets (12.5%), inadequate land access (15%), and instances of theft on the farm (1.0%). To enhance the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, the study recommends that Government should provide subsidies or grants for small-scale rice farmers who cannot afford improved varieties of rice seeds and farm chemicals such as fertilizers and herbicides.