Sustainability of Farm Level Practices among Cassava Farmers in Kwara and Nasarawa States, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the sustainability of farm level practices among cassava farmers in Kwara and Nasarawa States, Nigeria. Data were obtained directly from 256 respondents, selected through multistage random sampling technique, with the aid of structured questionnaire and interview schedules in six ADP zones of Kwara and Nasarawa States. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; farm level practices sustainability indicators and regression model. Results showed that majority of the respondents were male (94.1%) and married (97.7%) within the age bracket of 18 to 55 years (79.6%) and up to 82.7% of them acquired some form of education. The results also indicated that mean household size was 10 and farm holdings was 2.9 hectares .Crop management was the most prevalent (59.2%) sustainable farm level practice while weed control was the least prevalent practice (1.6%) by cassava farmers in the study area. Regression analysis revealed that educational level (2.366), mean technical efficiency (2.617) and extension contact (3.886) had positive signs. This implies that a change in sign of mean technical efficiency, educational level and extension contact will led to increase in the level of sustainable farm practice among the cassava farmers in the study area. Findings further revealed that shortage of extension services (100%) ranked first among the constraints faced by cassava farmers in the study area. It is recommended that Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to fund further research to boost cassava production, enhance sustainable practices and package more comprehensive extension services since extension contact was found to be totally absent in the study area.

Publication
Nigerian Agricultural Policy Research Journal 6(1):31-38
Food security Sustainability Farm management Cassava farming
Next
Previous