Scale Rice Farmers Research Articles

Farm Mechanization Innovation Capacity and Rice Productivity: Evidence from Small Scale Rice Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

Rice is a staple diet eaten by more than fifty percent of households in the whole world. There is a deficit currently in the demand- supply production of rice when carefully observed and this is traceable to the use of crude implements and traditional methods of farming. It is to this effect that this study addresses farm mechanization innovation and rice productivity using small scale rice farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 261 rice farmers were used for this study out of which only 78 rice farmers adopted the farm mechanization innovation while 183 rice farmers did not. The focus group discussion (FGD) employed revealed that majority of the rice farmers do not have capacity for farm mechanization, hence the low adoption of the innovation. The FGD revealed that 65.90percent of the rice farmers had medium innovation capacity, 28.74percent had low innovation capacity and 5.36percent had high innovation capacity. Employing the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method to evaluate the impact of farm mechanization on the productivity of rice farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria; the rice farmers that adopted the use of farm mechanization have a higher productivity of 12.68 kg/m2 as against the rice farmers who do not adopt the use of farm mechanization in their farming activities with their own productivity standing at 6.31kg/m2 . This outcome implies that farm mechanization has a positive impact on the productivity of the farmers. It is therefore recommended that quality extension services be put in place in the study area on the benefits of adopting farm mechanization. Also, the government should provide machineries for lease to the rice farmers so as to boost their productivity.

Evaluating the role of credit facilities as drivers to small scale rice farmers’ productivity in Wukari local government area, Taraba state, Nigeria

The role played by credit for sustainable agricultural activities cannot be overemphasized. The study evaluated the role of credit facilities as drivers to small scale rice farmers’ productivity in Wukari Local Government Area Taraba State, Nigeria. A multi stage sampling procedure was used to sample 250 respondents from the study area. The study found that seed (p = 0.03), fertilizer (p = 0.01), and farm size (p = 0.01) were the key determinants of productivity for the rice farmers who had access to credit facilities while labour (p = 0.056) and seed (p = 0.01) were the determinants of productivity for the non-access to credit facilities counterparts. The finding show that years in school, farm size and age are the factors that influenced access to credit facilities. Finally, interest rate (92.8%), lack of collateral security (89.6%), lending criteria (72%) and government regulations (70.8%) are the major problem associated with access to credit facilities. It was therefore recommended that Public and private partnerships should be encouraged to develop innovative financial products and services tailored farmer’s activities with a goal of offering competitive interest rates. Continuous review and policies adaptation related to interest rates in agricultural lending to ensure they remain effective and responsive to changing economic conditions and the needs of farmers.

Design of a Mini Rice Harvester for Rural and Small Scale Rice Farmers in Tropical and Developing Countries

Food insecurity, price volatility and under-employment of rice farmers in Liberia are key drivers for the development of rice farming machines locally. This project work aims to design and fabricate a simple, low-cost, efficient mini rice harvester powered by a solar panel by translating learnt concepts and principles of engineering into a physical and workable rice harvester. A circular blade cutter, DC motor, DC battery and solar cells are the main components deployed on a rod-plate setup. The solar cell taps solar irradiance from the sun and, with the help of a charge controller, recharges a 12V, 35Amp.hour battery. The battery supplies DC current to a DC motor that drives a circular blade cutter during harvesting. The fabricated harvester fulfilled all design objectives and was justifiable on overall financial cost (USD 194.00), ease of use, and ease of reproduction. The performance of the harvester, in terms of smoothness of cut and completion of cut area, was found to be near 100%. However, the harvester field efficiency performance was found to be 30.75% with an aggregated efficiency of % and a payback period of only 71 hours of operation, equivalent to 60,696 sq.m of harvested rice farm. Incessant clogged cutter's surface and harvested stem removal delays, slowdowns as the operator makes turns, switch failures and re-fix delays during field tests are the primary causes of the low field efficiency. With an improved spacing between the blade cutter and the secondary guard, the performance of the harvester is expected to improve significantly. An average noise level of 88.8 decibels was detected during the harvester's operation; advisably, hearing protection earmuffs may be necessary to safely operate the mini harvester on the dailies for 6 hours. Notwithstanding that the effect of moisture content of the rice stalks, as an input parameter, was not considered in the development of the power requirement for the rice cutter, the harvester can be optimized with minimal effort for commercialization and adopted as a Made-In-Liberia invention.

Factors associated with personal protective equipment use among pesticide handlers in Mwea irrigation Scheme, Kenya

Background: Pesticide use among small scale rice farmers has drastically increased over time globally. Evidence shows that majority of pesticide handlers do not regard PPE use during pesticide application, hence low PPE compliance. Methods: This study explored factors associated with PPE use among pesticide handlers in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya. The study was cross-sectional involving 246 respondents. Results: There was low level of PPE use among pesticide handlers with none using full PPE and only 25.2% using 4-6 PPE items out of 7 possible items. The most used PPE were trousers (74.4%), long-sleeved shirt/jacket (65.9%) and hat (60.6%). The least worn PPE were gumboots (1.6%), gloves (2.8%) and goggles (9.8%). Chi- square tests of independence revealed that sex, age, crop ownership, pesticide safety training, pesticide application experience, pesticide safety knowledge, attitude towards PPE use, perceived environmental health risk and Perceived PPE importance were significantly associated with PPE use. However, level of education, land tenure status and size of the farm were found not to have any association with PPE use. Conclusions: The results provide insights for future interventions and inform focus areas by health and safety enforcement agencies and policy developers. More training on pesticide safety and PPE use will enhance compliance and promote pesticide handlers’ health.

Factors affecting the rate of adoption of agricultural technology among small scale rice farmers in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT, Nigeria

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important food crop in the world, being a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, predominantly in Asia and Africa where more than 90% of the rice is grown and consumed. The research study focused on factors affecting the rate of adoption of agricultural technology among small scale rice farmers in the study area. A simple random sampling was used to collect data from 120 respondents in which each member in the area council wards such as Dobi, Gwako,Ikwa, Paiko Tungamaje and Gwagwalada Centre has equal chance of being selected and the selection of all the members is independent of one another. The sample procedure is by the use of well-structured questionnaire, which was administered in the study area. With the use of SPSS, a descriptive analysis of the data was performed. The study's findings indicated that few agricultural innovations are being used by rice farmers in the study area. Herbicide spraying (70.83%), fertilizer application (67.50%), pesticide use (65.0%), and ‘improved seeds (60.83%) were the main agricultural technological innovations used in the research region. The cost of innovation (mean = 3.74), the lack of adoption training for farmers (mean = 3.53), the inability to acquire financing facilities (mean = 3.48) and the inadequate extension service (mean = 3.25) were the main barriers to innovation adoption among rice farmers in the study area. Farmers' demographic traits, such as gender, education level, and farm size, have an impact on the adoption of innovation. Therefore, government and pertinent organizations should encourage farmer’s education on the application of new innovations, and extension agents should visit regularly and make new ideas available to farmers.

English

As rice develops from sowing to harvesting stages require a combination of both natural and non-natural inputs. Thus, at every stage, specific proportions are demanded as aggregates which contribute to the final yields. Understanding these inputs and their impacts on rice yield will help the small scale rice farmers in Tanzania to boost rice yields. This study pursues to (i) characterize rice farmers’ in Mbeya Region of Tanzania; (ii) estimate parameters for factors affecting rice along the phenological stages and their influences on growth and yield; and (iii) disclose the perceived factors affecting rice production. Data collected through structured questionnaires, interviews and focus discussions. Data analyses were done by descriptive statistics, Garret ranking techniques, and the Translog Cobb Douglas (CD) model. The descriptive results indicated majority of respondents had ages between 45 and 50 years; only 3% of respondents had informal education and 80% of them own farm size of from 1 to 3 acres. Empirical results show that labour, fertilizer, seeds quantity, pesticide cost, floods, and sunshine duration significantly influenced rice yield. Rainfall was the most influential factors as perceived by farmers. Based on these current findings, suggestions were provided to the responsible policymakers to work on utilizing the potential available from the identified major influential factors to increase farmers' income and increase food security. Key words: Inputs, rice, growth stage, Cobb Douglass, Mbeya.

EFFECTS OF ANCHOR BORROWERS PROGRAMME (ABP) CREDIT ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF BENEFICIARY RICE FARMERS IN KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the effects of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) on the productivity of rice farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 221 ABP rice farmers with the aid of structured questionnaire which were analyzed, using descriptive statistics, Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. The results obtained showed that the average age of the respondents determined was 46years, out of which 69.27% of them were male and 93.21 % married. Majority of the respondents’ primary occupation is farming with an average farming experiences and household size of 20years and 14 persons respectively. The mean productivity index of the ABP rice farmers estimated was 6.24 with the minimum and maximum values of 1.89 and 14.45 respectively. The result on OLS regression which found that ABP credit was statistically significant at 1% level of significance has a positive effect on the productivity of the rice farmers. Lack of awareness, bureaucratic bottlenecks and high interest rate are found to be severe constraints limiting small scale rice farmers’ access to ABP credit. The study however recommended that there is need for rice farmers to be sensitize for effective participation about ABP by Government. There is also need for the Government to constitute monitoring and evaluation committee that will oversee the implementation of the programme according to blue its print.

Analysis of factors influencing loan acquisition among small scale rice farmers in Kazaure Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria

The research was designed to analyze the factors that determine loan acquisition by rice farmers in Kazaure Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria. The study used primary data collected through interview schedule with the help of structured questionnaire from 215 randomly selected rice farmers. Data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and the appropriate form of multiple regression models. Results from the analysis showed that the farmers were in their active age, educated and experienced. About 69% of the farmers did not have access to formal loaned funds. Interest rate, farm input, farm size and loan times significantly affected loan acquisition. The major factors that influenced loan acquisition were; delays in release of funds, tedious documentation process, no acceptable collateral and long distances to make loan requests. Financial institutions were encouraged to grant loans on for timely supply of farm inputs and at affordable interest rate. Lending agencies should advice the respondents on appropriate farm size and loan to meet up with the farm needs.

Determinants and Preferences of Credit Risk Management in Farming: Evidence from Rice Enterprise in Nigeria

Background: This research was conducted in Enugu State. Nigeria is motivated by the fact that small scale rice farmers in Nigeria are faced with severe credit risk. This has increased their instability in productivity and resulted in high loan default. A multiplicity of research in Nigeria has neglected the aspect of credit risk management, especially in crop farming. The study explores the determinants and preferences of credit risk management in rice farming in Nigeria. Methods: A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents for the study. Specifically, a random sampling technique was used to select 10 crop farmers from eight selected communities, which gave 80 respondents for the study. However, after data cleaning and other exercises of data editing, 75 questionnaire were collected and used for the analysis. Finally, in the selection of financial institutions, a purposive sampling technique was used to 16 formal financial institutions that had operated for more than ten years in each of the selected local government areas. Result: The study identified that credit risk management is affected by education, diversification of income sources, farming experience, banking with commercial banks and informal financial institutions, amount of credit and experience in the past credit risks. In addition, the preference of rice farmers to credit risk aversion is appropriate management of production risks, price risks and moratorium risk.

Determinants of Profit Efficiency among Small Scale Rice Farmers in North Central, Nigeria: A Profit Function Approach

The study employed a stochastic frontier profit function to measure profit efficiency among rice farmers in North Central, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in selecting 218 rice farming household heads in six Local Government Areas of North Central, Nigeria. The results showed that rice production is highly profitable with an estimated net farm income and Gross margin of N67,808.31 and N 70,273.56 per hectare and the return on investment of N1.26 was realized as profit for every one naira invested in production of rice in North Central Nigeria. The gross ratio of 0.46 and the operating ratio of 0.44 are indicators that rice production was profitable in the study area. Furthermore, the result of tranlog stochastic function revealed that rice farmers in North Central were not all fully profit efficient and thus an average farmer in study area could potentially increase profit level if resources are more efficiently utilized. However, the results show that fertilizer, labour, agrochemical, farm size, age, household size, education, farming experience, awareness of climate change and access to climate information had significant effects on the profit efficiency of rice farmers in the study area. The study recommended that since the area has a great potential to increase rice production and farmers’ income, efforts should be made by encouraging rice farmers to intensify the use of improved varieties of rice in order to increase their output. Now that the present administration change agenda is geared towards agriculture, youths in the country could be encouraged by government at all levels and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to venture into rice farming agribusiness that will serve as potential employment source.

Challenges for Small Scale Rice Farmers- A Case Study from Tanzania

The present study was conducted in the Lake Zone of Tanzania, with a sample size of 265 rice farmers has been selected. The objective was to find out the constraints faced by rice farmers to propose Government’s policies regulating to overcome the constraints of rice production promotion and marketing in Tanzania. The study found that the agro-ecological constraints faced by farmers, ranked from more to less serious, were related to production and marketing problems; the major production challenge was drought faced 89.81 % of rice farmers from attaining the high rice production potential in the Lake Zone, followed by pests 34.34 %, shortage of inputs 31.32 % and diseases were the other major challenge encountered by the 25.29 %. The major diseases were the Yellow Mottle Virus and rice blast. Further, it shows that the low price of rice was a major marketing challenge faced by 38.95 %, followed by price fluctuations of 17.90%, and improper measurement scale was observed to be a challenge faced by 14.90 % of rice farmers.

Soil Conservation and Water–Resources Management Techniques used by Small- Scale Rice Farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

he study assessed s soil conservation and water – resources management techniques among small- scale rice farmers in Ebonyi State. A sample of 130 respondents generated via multi- stage, purposive and simple random methods were used. Data were generated through questionnaire and interview schedule and analysed using percentage and mean. Results, showed the indigenous methods for soil and water- resources management used by the rice farmers to include: construction of basin and flow walls ( x= 92.3%), construction of dikes (x = 84.6%), ration- harvesting (x = 73%), and compost- manuring ( x= 69%).Other indigenous methods used include: use of IPM ( = 65.4%), shifting cultivation and planting of trees ( x= 61.5%), crop rotation(x = 57.7%) and Mixed cropping ( = 50.0%). Results on level of use of the Agronomical Best Environmental Management Practices (ABEMPs) through physical measures indicated that construction of bund- lines ( x= 3.23) and farm- drainage ( x= 3.00) were at high level of use, while levelling (x = 2.96), dikes (x = 2.77), stone- lines (x = 2.39), terracing ( x= 2.15) were at moderate level of use and plastic mulching (x = 1.85) was at low level of use. Equally, for biological measures mixed- cropping ( = 3.08) was at high level of use, while crop- rotation (x = 2.80), planting of trees (x = 2.62) and fallowcover (x = 2.23) were at moderate level of use and incorporation of residues (x = 1.92) was at low level of use. On the Best Agronomic Practice measures, results showed conservation tillage and liming (x = 3.00) were respectively at high level of use, while mount- making / ridging (x = 2.92), application of compost manure (x = 2.62), use of IPM (2.62) and application of cow dung and poultry droppings (x = 2.50) were at moderate level of use, while irrigation ( x= 1.77) and zero tillage (x = 1.23) were at low level of use respectively. The indigenous and ABEMPs methods are geared towards stable renewable resource use through sustainable (soil and water- resources) management techniques. There should be enhanced farmer–scientist research collaboration to develop soil and water- resource management techniques for more sustainable for rice production in the study area.Key Words: Indigenous ABEMPs, soil and water- resources, rice farmers.

Rice farmers preferred extension teaching methods for capacity building in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study investigated rice farmers preferred teaching methods for capacity building. A three stage sampling procedure was used to select 130 small scale rice farmers. Results revealed that the average age of farmers was 38.97 years. The commonly used extension methods by rice farmers include farm and home visit (88.42%), management training plot (93.11%), small plot adoption techniques (60.12%), on farm adaptive research (68.13%), farmers field Days (54.62%) and radio (13.85%). Seventy-five percent of the rice farmers preferred MTP due to its size, 72% for acquisition of new skills, 65% and 61% for enhance capacity on integrated pest and weed management respectively. Results show that on the average 93.11% of the rice farmers agreed that characteristics of the teaching methods such as size, period of stay on the field, allowance for participation and evaluation made MTP more relevant than other methods for capacity building of rice farmers. It was recommended that extension organizations should promote the use of MTP as it allows farmers to acquire skills in existing and emerging rice production innovations. Keywords: skill acquisition,’ participation, and evaluation

Perceived Benefits of Adoption of Improved Rice Production Technologies Among Small–Scale Farmers in Kogi state, Nigeria.

The study examined the benefits of adoption of improved rice technologies among small – scale rice farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to; describe the socio – economic characteristics of the rice farmers, assessed farmers' level of adoption of improved rice technologies, identify the rice farmers’ sources of agricultural information and source of information preferred, identify the benefits derived from adoption and identify the constraints to rice production in the area. Primary and secondary data were used for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire from 212 rice farmers. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results show that 59.9% of the respondents were male, and within the ages of 40 – 49 years. The majority (58.0%) of the respondents were married and 60.8% of the farmers depend on extension agents for agricultural information. The improved technologies disseminated; rice production facilities, rice farming inputs, field preparation were adopted with adoption index of 0.70, 0.71 and 0.77 respectively indicating high adoption level, while processing technologies had low adoption level with adoption index of 0.37. Increased output (98.6%), acquisition of skills (91.5%), increase in income (85.5%) and expansion of farm land (72.2%) were the major benefits derived by the farmers from adoption of the technologies. The study concluded that the major benefits derived from adoption of the technologies were increased farm size, increased output andincome, and the major constraints to rice production were inadequate finance and credit facilities and poor soil fertility. Extension agents should encourage the farmers to re-invest their income for more output and income. Government and financial institutions should also provide the farmers with production credit in form of loan at low interest rate, so that they can afford some of the technologies Keywords : Adoption, benefit derived, improved rice technologies

Effect of Training on Small-Scale Rice Production in Northern Ghana

Training in modern farming methods enables farm households in developing countries to improve agricultural productivity. Notwithstanding the efforts of governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide farmers with agricultural training, productivity remains low. The existing literature provides little empirical evidence of the effect of training on agricultural productivity in Ghana. This study therefore seeks to bridge this gap by investigating small scale rice farmers’ participation in agricultural training programmes and its effect on productivity in northern Ghana. A treatment effect model was used to account for sample selection bias. The results indicated that participation in training increased with the number of extension visits, group membership, access to credit and the degree of specialisation in rice production. Furthermore, total output and labour productivity both increased with participation in training but the relationship with land productivity (yield) was insignificant. On average, participation in training was associated with 797kg increase in rice output, while labour productivity increased by 7.3kg/man-day. With the exception of farm capital, all the production inputs had a positively significant relationship with output suggesting sub-optimal use of capital in production. The study concludes that farmers’ training needs are not adequately being met while inadequate capital is constraining farm output. Increasing access to extension service and involving farmer-based organisations in the design and implementation of training programmes will enhance participation and farm performance.
 JEL Classification: C21, D24, Q12

Analysis of Loan Acquisition and Repayment among Small Scale Rice Farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria: Implication for Effective Credit Delivery.

Analysis of Loan Acquisition and Repayment among Small Scale Rice Farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria: Implication for Effective Credit Delivery.

Behavioral Responses to Climate Information: A Case of Small Scale Rice Farmers in Vulnerable Communities in Leyte, Philippines

As in many developing countries, the advent of extreme climatic events, including El Niño and La Niña phenomena has exposed the livelihoods of small scale Filipino farmers to climate vulnerabilities. Recent developments in climate prediction suggest that seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) have potentials for alleviating the vulnerability of farmers’ livelihoods. In the Philippines, however, farmers’ uptake of SCF is low. This study pilot-tested SCF dissemination and examined if small rice farmers from communities vulnerable to flooding and drought would use the information in their farming and management decisions. Farmers then participated in a seminar on the basic concepts of climate and were advised of the climate forecast for the July 2012 cropping season. Focus group discussions were conducted four months after, that is, during the harvest season. Respondents assessed the SCF as “accurate” but in making farm decisions, they relied on their experiences on the onset and amount of rain. For some farmers, the shortage of rainfall in the middle of the cropping season led to crop failure. Thus, they resorted to growing other crops. Results of this study highlighted the need to inform farmers of the onset, amount, and duration and distribution of rainfall for the incoming cropping season. Overall results indicate the need for the meteorological agency to improve the skill and to down-scale (localize) the climate forecast.

Analysis of Technical Efficiency and Its Determinants among Small Scale Rice Farmers in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined technical efficiency and its determinants among small scale rice farmers in Patigi Local Government Areas of Kwara State. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty rice farmers for the study. Primary data were obtained with the aid of well structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Descriptive statistics and stochastic production frontier model were employed in the analysis of the data. 60% of the rice farmers had one form of education or the other while the age of rice farmers ranges from between 18 to 67 years with mean age of 38 years. The result of technical efficiency shows that the mean was approximately 0.65. The minimum technical efficiency was 0.10 while the maximum was 0.93. The determinants of technical efficiency in the study area were household size, farming experience, level of education, labour, farm size and non farm income in paddy rice production. It was recommended that the government at all levels should provide labour saving technology, social services and support and ensure farmers are educated to ensure proper understanding of indices of technical efficiency with attendance boost in rice yield.

Dilemma between Competitive Farm Management and Sustainable Community Development among Large Scale Rice Farmers

Dilemma between Competitive Farm Management and Sustainable Community Development among Large Scale Rice Farmers

Identifying Target Groups for Agricultural Research: The Categorization of Rice Farmers in the Dominican Republic

SummaryA method is discussed for classifying small scale rice farmers from the Dominican Republic who have similar production systems and access to land, but differ widely in the yields they obtain and in the adoption of new technology. The results are used to define two recommendation domains, for farmers with ‘good’ and ‘poor’ production conditions, and to suggest appropriate technology for each. For farmers working in good production conditions the development of a technological package based on the double cropping of semi-dwarf varieties with high yield potential and production efficiency is recommended; for farmers with poor production conditions, a technological package is suggested based on varieties with a high tolerance of drought, flooding and weed development, which yield adequately at low input levels.