FAMAN Journal Volume 7 No. 2, 2004
INCREASING PRIVATE
PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE THROUGH PRIVATIZATION
Alabi, R.A1 and
Mafimisebi, T.E2
1. Department Of Agric. Economics and
Extension, Ambrose Alli University, PMB 14, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
2. Department Of Agric. Economics
and Extension Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
In reaction to
worrisome performance of agricultural sector in Nigeria, the Federal Government
has embarked on various programs and projects aimed at returning the sector to
its enviable position. The government efforts have not yielded sufficient
desired results, as the country still witnessed high cost of food, general cost
of living and perpetual poverty. This paper suggested a redirection of the
government efforts to privatization of agricultural enterprises, projects and
programs, since it has been shown to have capacity to increase the efficiencies
of the concerned enterprises. This study relied on secondary data from Malawi
and primary data from private cocoa farmers in Oyo state in Nigeria. The
empirical evidence from Malawi shows that technical efficiency of agro-allied
industries increased from 65% before privatization to 72% after privatization.
The determinants of technical efficiency of the agro-allied industries in Malawi
are state ownership, monopoly, capital intensity, Multinational Corporation,
and structural adjustment program. While
state ownership and monopoly reduce the efficiency, the other three
determinants increase it. This indicates that agro allied industries can be
more efficient under private control than under the State (Government). The
result of analysis of the primary data suggests that farmers that pay for their
land are more technically efficient (63%) than those who did not (59%). This
allay the fear that increased in cost, that is associated with privatization
will not reduce the technical efficiency of the farmers. The paper recommends a
gradual privatization of agricultural enterprises, projects and programs in
Nigeria. This will not only increase their efficiency but also gender active
participation and competition.
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
SERVICES IN NIGERIA
Adebayo, K.
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural
Development, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. E-mail:
kolawole_adebayo@hotmail.com
ABSTRACT
In Nigeria, agricultural extension services have been
dominated by the Agricultural Development Programme (ADPs) since the mid-1970s.
However, the experiences of farmers are changing. Traditional extension
services linked with production objectives and blanket recommendations can no
longer meet farmers’ expectations. Therefore, extension practitioners need to
meet this challenge by seeking private sector participation in the funding and
delivery of extension services. This paper noted that extension services
provided by the private sector, even when it is funded by government, is a
positive feature and government can play a strategic role in identifying gaps
in the provision of extension services that can be filled through a brokerage role
or by contracting service providers. It then concluded that the sustainability
of private sector participants in extension service delivery requires a new
orientation among staff. This will require some investment in staff training
and reorientation.
EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN FARMERS IN KANAM AND WASE AREAS OF PLATEAU
STATE
Umar A.G Owa. O Kareem I. A, and Madugu I.E.
Federal College of
forestry, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Jos
ABSTRACT
Increasing attention is being accorded the potential
role of women farmers in Plateau State due to their significance in sustainable
agricultural development. However, production impediments have often diminished
the hope to fully utilise such potentials for the benefit of humanity. A study
was conducted in Kanam and Wase L.G.As to examine production characteristics of
women farmers in the study areas. 200 women farmers were selected from 8 wards
by simple random sampling technique. However, 198 responses were available for
analysis Descriptive statistics – frequency and corresponding percentages is
used for analysis. The result of the study revealed that greater number of the
women range between ages of 30-39 years. (52.%)
Married women were majority
(72.22%), primary school leavers were majority (40.40%) majority of them
operate on their husband’s farm (68.18%) major source of finance is personal
savings (83.33%) major farm enterprise are cattle, sheep, goat, crops (100%).
Major source of labour is family labour (50.51%) common size of farm holding is
less than 2 hectares (65.66%) constraints identified includes: Non
Accessibility to land ownership (98.48%)Iinadequate access to reliable source
of loanable funds (89.%) Non availability of village level technology (100%).
The conclusion is that their production level is characterized by small holder
agriculture with associated impediments. In view of the importance attached to
role of women in agriculture, significant effort is required through effective
extension services to alleviate the burden of the women.
ASSESSMENT OF THE USE OF
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) ON THE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF
AGRO-BASED FOOD INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA
I. A. Ayinde; M. U. Agbonlahor; T. E. Mafimisebi and O. A.
Adebayo
Department
of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Agriculture,
P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The use of Information Communication technologies
(ICTs) as a management tool has gained widespread significance in recent years
and the stock of management advantages provided by ICT cuts across disciplines
and sectors. Management experts see this globalization of management options as
the “super production and marketing input” needed by firms to boost their
competitive edge. This paper assesses the adoption and use of ICTs on the
economic performance of Agro-industries (ABFIs) in South-West, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from a total of
80 respondents from the study area.
Budgetary analysis, t-test of mean differences and multiple regressions
were used in the data analysis to actualise the study objectives. In assessing
the effect of ICTs on the economic performance of the companies, the “before
and after” scenarios were analysed. The results revealed an increase of about
14 percent increase in total profit after adoption of ICTs. The reduction in
marketing cost brought about by adopting ICT s were found to be largely
responsible for the increase in profit of the ICT adopting firms. The results
also revealed that irrespective of the scale of operation, there was a general
reduction in total marketing cost due to ICT adoption. The Cobb Douglas
function fitted to explain the cost effect relationship between yearly firms’
expenditure on ICTs and firm’s characteristics revealed that the proportion of
ICT literate staff to the total staff strength and age of firm were found to be
significant positive determinants of ICTs expenditure. The study recommends the
adoption and use of ICTs by agro-based firms as a cutting edge input that is
not only cost effective but more efficient in the long run.
ROLE OF WOMEN FARMERS’ COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF BAUCHI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAUCHI
STATE.
B.O. Emefesi1, B.M. Hamidu2 and U.
Haruna2
1. Department of Agricultural Technology,
School of Agriculture, Abubakar Tatari
Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.
2. School of Agriculture, Dept. of
Agricultural Economics and Extension Programme Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
University, Bauchi.
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at examining the role of Women
farmers’ cooperative Societies in Agricultural Production in Bauchi Local
Government Area of Bauchi State Nigeria. A total of eighty (80) women farmers
were randomly selected from eight Cooperative societies which represent 50% of
all registered and viable Cooperative Societies in the study area. Data were
collected using well-structured pre-tested interview schedules, and analysed by
means of descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, percentages and
means). The results indicated that women Cooperative Societies in the study
area were engaged in agricultural activities, such as land clearance (62.5%),
planting and transplanting (62.5%) weeding (40%), fertilizer application (75%),
food processing (87.5%), food storage (95%) and animal production and
management (94%) respectively. The average land size of the respondents was 1.3
hectare. Constraints to their development efforts included inadequacy of
finance; lack of training of their members, inadequate farm implements and lack
of suitable machines for Women farmer’s use. Government should provide soft and
medium term loan to women cooperative societies. Extension staff should make
women cooperative societies as a target group for quick delivery of extension
services. Apparently technologies for Women farmers should be made available
and affordable to all women farmers particularly members of Cooperative
Societies.
ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF WOMEN FOR INCREASED
PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA MAIN-STREAMING AGRICULTURE: A RE-DESIGNING OF
STRATEGIES
Ogbonna, K. I1. and E. Okoroafor2
- Dept. of
Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Calabar, Calabar
- Co-operative
Extension Centre (CEC) University of Agriculture, Makurdi
ABSTRACT
Africa is a region of female farming compared with
other regions of the world where women have the responsibility for food
production, processing, marking, cooking, child care and other home related
activities. It is argued that women account for 70-80 percent of household food
production in sub-Sahara Africa. However, case studies in Nigerian and in most
Africa countries tend to point to the fact that women who have been described
as the hidden productive force in the countryside have not fully benefited from
food production development planning strategies, despite their increased
involvement in agricultural production. The food production development
programme has often focused in the designing of effective packages for
generating surpluses in agriculture without particular focus on women. The
basic needs approach which emphasis the expansion of people’s capabilities
therefore points to the importance of re-examining the strategies for promoting
participation in agricultural production with specific focus on women. Food
development planning and execution strategies need to be re-oriented and
re-designed to ensure that development packages reach women farmers as well as
stimulate them to participate more actively to increase output though
technology and other incentives. This paper therefore focuses on the importance
of women’s participation in Nigerian agricultural production and its
implications for national development. The neglect of women’s roles in
agriculture and factors that have adversely affected rural women’s agricultural
production is also reviewed. Finally, the paper proposes some socio-economic,
socio-cultural and institutional structures that must be re-examined and
redesigned to facilitate the increase women participation in Nigeria main
streaming agriculture.
ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVES TO
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE
Adeofun, C. O. and Opeolu, B. O.
Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology,
University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Agriculture,
unlike industrial activity which has always resulted in pollution, has been
environmentally benign for most of its history until after the Second World War
when the system disintegrated. Then,
crop residues were incorporated into the soil or fed to livestock, the manure
returned to the land in amounts that could be absolved and utilized. Mechanized farming, however, is reliant on
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Hence, crop residues and livestock excreta, which were once recycled
have become wastes and their disposal a continuing problem for the farmer. With the present national policy on
agriculture, there is the need for private sector participation especially in
the area of environmental health and safety for economic and environmental
sustainability.
THE NIGERIAN AGRICULTURE AND POVERTY INCIDENCE: THE
NEED FOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPOWERMENT
Okuneye, P. A., Fabusoro, E., Adebayo, K., and Ayinde,
I. A.
ABSTRACT
Poverty in Nigeria is concentrated in rural areas. Low resource or resource-poor farmers
characterized by preponderance of small farm units, fragile soils,
rain-dependent, minimum inputs and poor yield dominate the agricultural sector.
The incidence of poverty is highest among households in which the head is
engaged in agriculture as the main source of income. Agricultural growth is
therefore important to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in Nigeria.
Conscious policy efforts by government towards poverty alleviation began during
the SAP era. Some companies like Shell and certain State Governments have shown
real interest in alleviating poverty through their agricultural programmes and
policy statements. Nigeria’s current
vision for agricultural development is expressed in the National Economic
Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), the New Agricultural Policy
(NAP), and the Rural Sector Development Strategy (RSDS). This paper posits that
provision of electricity, potable water, health centres and formal schools will
facilitate the sustainability of any impact of poverty alleviation programmes
in Nigeria. Encouraging community development projects evolved by the
communities themselves will minimize poverty incidence. Increasing the access of the poor to land and
other productive resources will reduce poverty and generate employment.
Development of infrastructural facilities in the rural areas has the two
pronged approach of reducing poverty and developing the rural areas. Encouraging processing through adequate
incentives to SMEs will also further empower the private sector.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF THE ROLE OF CYCLE TRADERS IN
THE MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL STAPLES IN MAMU, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
O.O. Olubanjo, S.O. Womiloju and K.A. Akanni
Department of Agricultural Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Yewa Campus, Ayetoro
ABSTRACT
The study analyzed the performance of cycle traders in
the marketing of foodstuffs in Mamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. A survey was carried
out in the boundary market over five cycle market days across one hundred and
fifty (150) foodstuffs traders. Cycle traders were grouped into fifteen (15)
homogenous foodstuffs trading categories. Descriptive analytical tools were
then used to analyse the socio-demographic characteristics of foodstuffs
marketers in the market. Further, quantitative analytical tools were used to
analyse the extent of inequalities in the stock levels and trade volume, market
expenditures, and returns to traders. Results revealed that majority of the
cycle traders in the sample had low educational attainment, and were married
into polygamous families of four to ten children, on the average. Indices of
inequality also revealed that there was a relative equality in incomes realized
by traders on cycle market days. Notwithstanding the relative equality in
market expenditures, stock levels, volume of trade, and market incomes,
training programme should be organized for boundary market traders. Such
educational programmes should focus on improving the literacy ability, and the
accounting and trading skills of cycle marketers in the study area.
