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Effects of Remittances on the Livelihood of Farm Households in Enugu State, Nigeria     ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of remittances on the livelihood of farm households in Enugu State Nigeria.  Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 120 remittance recipient households used for the study. Data were collected by the use of structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used in data analysis. The study showed that, households whose heads are within, 51 – 70 year of age and are not highly educated are more likely to produce migrants. Also families with large household size (six and above) migrate more. Households with married status were found to be 65.8%, while 56.7% of the household heads were males. Internal remittances formed the bulk of the receipts of...

The Effect of Information Communication Technology on Environmental Management and Resource Use Among Crop Farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria   Abstract The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture is vital for preventing stagnation in the dissemination, utilization and application of scientific, agricultural, resource and environmental information for purposeful development. For farmers to reap the benefits of ICT, they must not only have access, but they must also have the capacity to use devices effectively and in productive ways. In spite of the potential benefits of ICT in accessing resources, market and environmental information, very little is known about the factors that affect access and use of ICTs as well as the effect on environmental management and resourceuse among crop farmers.The study was carried...

The Structure, Functioning and Potentials of Indigenous Cooperative Credit Associations in Financing Agriculture: the Case of Anambra and Benue States, Nigeria   ABSTRACT Small-scale farmers are faced with credit constraints from both formal and informal sources. From the informal sources they are faced with very scarce and unreliable supply and consequently, expensive credits. From the formal sources, the reluctance of      commercial banks and other institutionalised credit sources to lend to the agricultural sector, is ell known. Thus, despite changes realized by           the establishment of various institutionalized agricultural credit sou:ces, most s all scale farmers still find it difficult to obtain credit for investm ent. Thus, t !:i S study specifically seeks to evaluate the organization al structure and...

Analysis of Resource Use Among Cassava Farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria   ABSTRACT The study examined the analysis of resource use among cassava farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were: describe their socio-economic characteristics, determine their technical efficiency, determine the factors affecting technical efficiency, assess their profit efficiency, examine determinants of profit efficiency, determine resource use efficiency, estimate cost and returns and identify constraints associated with cassava production in the study area. Multistage random sampling technique was adopted to select a total of 324 farmers. Data for the study were obtained from primary sources with the aid of a well-structured and pretested questionnaire.The statistical tools used for analysis were descriptive statistics such...

Analysis of Risk Preference and Insurance Purchase by Rice Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study analyzed the risk preference and insurance purchase by rice farmers in Enugu State. Nigeria. This research is as a result of concentration of many studies on agricultural insurance purchase, which centres on the analysis of risk preference, awareness of insurance purchase by rice farmers with little emphasis on the specific issues such as the different mechanisms and risk preference of rice farmers especially in the study area. The aim of the study was to analyse risk preferences and insurance purchase by rice farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the socio-economic characteristics of rice farmers in the study area, examine the rice farmers’ awareness and perception of insurance and risk,...

Economic Analysis of Deforestation in Enugu State, Nigeria ABSTRACT The study provided an economic analysis of the losses from deforestation in Enugu State of Nigeria. Specifically, the study evaluated the effects of socioeconomic factors affecting deforestation in Enugu State. It also identified the factors that influence the decision to deforest. The study further examined the nature and extent of deforestation in the state. Primary and secondary data generated were analyzed with descriptive statistics, multiple regression and logit analytical techniques. Also total economic valuation (TEV)  model  of  valuing deforestation was used to achieve aggregate economic loss from different deforestation operations in different sectors of forest use. The major  finding of the study shows that bush fire was the highest cause of...

Gender and Resource Use Efficiency in Cocoyam Production in Anambra State, Nigeria   Abstract The study was carried out to investigate the gender and resource use efficiency   in cocoyam production in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study presents the results of analysis of data collected on 160 male and female cocoyam farmers across two Agricultural zones in the state. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select the zones. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, means and tables were used in analyzing farmer’s socio-economic characteristics and production problems. The result showed that women constituted a greater percentage (68.75%) of those involved in cocoyam production in the state with age range of 41 to 50 years. The Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) technique was used in estimating the...

The Effects of Environmental Constraints on Technical Efficiency of Urban and Rural Pig Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria   CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1       Background of the Study The low level of food production in Nigeria has been closely linked with such factors as low soil fertility level, use of unimproved crop varieties, as well as inefficiency in the use of farming resources (Olagoke, 1990;  Ojo, 2003). This also applies to livestock production including piggery. Inefficiency in resource use comes from many sources like low level of education, inexperience, environmental constraints, etc. This affects productivity and waste generation in agriculture. Agricultural production can be increased either through an efficient use of traditional technology and practices, or through the introduction of a package of...

Technical Efficiency in the Production of Nsukka Yellow Pepper Among Rural Farmers in Enugu North Agricultural Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria   ABSTRACT This study determines the technical efficiency level and socioeconomic characteristics that influence the technical efficiency of yellow pepper farmers. Stochastic Frontier function that incorporated inefficiency factors was estimated using a Maximum Likelihood technique to provide estimates of technical efficiency and its determinants using data obtained from 60 Nsukka Yellow pepper farmers in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. The result shows that the mean technical efficiency was 70 percent indicating the need for improvement in efficiency level for additional 30 percent. The result also indicates that the respondents are operating in the rational stage (stage II) of production as indicated...

Comparative Economics Analysis of Rain-fed and Fadama Vegetable Production in Peri Urban Areas of Ebonyi State, Nigeria   CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1     BACKGROUND INFORMATION In the 1960s Nigeria relied heavily on the Agricultural sector for economic development (contributing over 70% of the GDP). But with the oil boom of the 1970s, the contribution of agricultural sector fell drastically to the extent that the nation became an importer of major agricultural commodities in the 1980s (Husseni, 1996). Agriculture contributed an average of 74.6% to the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) in 1960 and with the neglect of the sector, the contribution to the GDP dropped to 1.3% between 1996 and 1999 (Zanna, 2000). Government, aware of this dangerous trend has since put in place various policies and programmes geared towards...

Economics of Organic Solid Waste Utilization by Urban Small-scale Tomatoes Farmers in F.c.t. Abuja, Nigeria   Abstract         Economics of organic solid waste (O.S.W.) utilization by urban small-scale tomatoes farmers in F.C.T. Abuja, was aimed at solving the problems of waste disposal through it reuse in tomatoes farming. The major objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the small-scale tomatoes farmers in the study area, to examine the factors that affect urban tomatoes output and to identify the determinants of “willingness to pay” for organic solid waste in tomatoes farming. Other objectives were to estimate the gross margin resulting from the use of organic solid waste in tomatoes farming and to identify the constraints to organic solid waste use in tomatoes farming. Purposive sampling was...

Comparative Analysis of Technical Efficiency in Rice Production Under Small-scale Farmer Managed Irrigation System and Rain-fed System in Kogi State   Abstract This research was designed to determine and compare the technical efficiency and input levels used in rice production under farmer managed irrigation systems (FMIS) and rain fed systems (RFS) in Kogi State. It also compared the effects of socioeconomic characteristics on the technical efficiency of farmers in the FMIS and RFS. Four null hypotheses were tested. The study was conducted in commercial rice producing areas of Kogi State. It adopted a multi stage purposive sampling technique. Agricultural Zones where rice is produced in commercial quantities were purposively stratified into three (3) based on a preliminary survey. From these three zones, one local government area...