Abstract
socio-economic characteristics of respondents were described using frequency counts and percentages. Inferential statistics such as chi-square was used to test the hypotheses. Geographic Information System (GIS) software (ArcView 9.3) was used to map locations and analyse distances and multiple buffers were developed around input centers to determine farmers' accessibility. Results from the study show that inputs like fertilizer (65%), agro-chemicals (94.38%), and planting materials like seeds and stems (90.63%) were majorly procured from private input centers. Majority (74.37%) of the farmers interviewed travel more than 15 km to procure input from government established input centers. Chi-square results showed significant relationship between sex (χ2=29.51, P=0.05), marital status (χ2=10.97, P=0.00), income (χ2=32.55, P=0.00) and farm size (χ2=14.73, P=0.00). Improvement in agricultural output will depend to some extent on farmers’ access to agro-input centers. The government should establish agro-input input centers closer to farmers and make inputs available at subsidized rates; this will make them affordable to farmers and increase agricultural production.
Highlights
Agriculture employs nearly three-quarters of Nigeria's workforce, as is the case in most of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Agricultural production in Nigeria has been declining over the years
Oyo State is located in the South-west geopolitical zone of Nigeria and is bounded in the south by Ogun State, in the North by Kwara State, in the West it is partly bounded by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin while in the East by Osun state
Summary
Agriculture employs nearly three-quarters of Nigeria's workforce, as is the case in most of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Agriculture is the principal source of food and livelihood in Nigeria, making it a critical component of programs that seek to reduce poverty and attain food security in Nigeria (Philips et al, 2009). Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa with a total geographic area of 923,768 square kilometers and an estimated population of about 167 million (NBS, 2014) and has a highly diversified agro-ecological condition which makes possible the production of a wide range of agricultural produce (Ofona et al, 2016). Agricultural production in Nigeria has been declining over the years.
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