THE ROLE OF WOMEN-IN-AGRICULTURE AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME AMONG IRISH POTATO FARMERS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study focused on the role of irish potato farmers of the women-in-agriculture and youth empowerment (waye) programme in Plateau State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select 256 respondents. Primary data were collected through the use of questionnaires and were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean farming experience was 10 and 16 years for participating and non-participating farmers while mean farm size for participating farmers and non- participating farmers was 1.4 and 0.5 ha. The result of the findings reveals that 55% and 47% of the participating farmers and non-participating farmers had secondary school education, which constituted the largest number of educational qualifications attained in the study area. Factors influencing the level of participation of irish potato farmers in (waye) programme in Plateau State are, marital status (3.72, P<0.01), sex (2.25, P<0.05), years of irish potatoes production (9.85, P<0.01), household size (10.92, P< 0.01), awareness of WAYEP (4.93, P<0.01), a unit increase in these factors will subsequently influence the level of participation of irish potato farmers in (WAYEP) programme. The mean crops output of WAYE programme participants (537,807.1kg) was significantly higher than non-participants (165,571.43kg). The difference in the mean crops output levels was largely attributed to participation in WAYE programme. The calculated Z-test value (14.74) for crops output and income (22.93) was significant at 1%. It was therefore recommended that WAYE programme be extended to other farming communities in Plateau State, so as to accelerate the poverty alleviation among women farmers in the State.