Assessment of Effects of International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture Project Activities on the Level of Living of Farmers.
ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to assess the effects of International Centre for Bio-saline Agriculture project activities on the level of living of Farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
The data used for this study were collected through the use of questionnaire administered to 171 respondents selected randomly from seven villages within the State. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data.
The results of the study revealed that the mean age of the participants was 39 years, while the non-participants mean age was 33 years. The mean household size of the participants is 9 people, while that of the non-participants is 8 people.
The study further revealed 30% of the participants and 45% of the non- participants were able to secure secondary school education.
The result of the study further depicted that majority (73%) of the participants had contact with the extension agents, while only 15% of the non-participants had contact with the extension agents.
The study found out that majority (53%) of the participants had access to credit, while only 21% of the non-participants had access to credit.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page—————–i
Declaration ————-ii
Certification————iii
Dedication————-iv
Acknowledgements———v
Table of contents———–vi
List of tables————ix
List of figures——–x
List of appendix———xi
Definitions————-xii
Abstract—————xiii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction———-1
1.1 Background to the study——1
1.2 Problem statement———– 2
1.3 Objectives of the study———–4
1.4 Justification of the study———5
1.5 Research hypotheses——- 5
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature review———–7
2.1 An overview on International Center for Bio-saline Agriculture (ICBA)———7
2.2 ICBA – Nigeria Project —–8
2.3 Socio-economic Characteristics of Farmers ——-9
2.4 ICBA Project Activities Introduced in the Study Area —11
2.5 Factors Influencing Farmers‟ Participation in Intervention Projects –12
2.6 Effects of Intervention Projects Activities on Yield, Income and Level of Living of Farmers ——-15
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Methodology———24
3.1 Description of the Study Area ——-24
3.1 Sampling procedure and sample size—–28
3.2 Data Collection Techniques ——-29
3.3 Analytical techniques———-29
3.4 Definition and measurement of variables——32
3.4.1 Independent variables——–32
3.4.2 Dependent variables——–34
3.4.3 Outcomes———-34
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Results and Discussion———-36
4.1 Socio-economic Characteristics of ICBA participants and non-participants —36
4.1.1 Age distribution——-36
4.1.2 Sex——-38
4.1.3 Marital status——-38
4.1.4 Household size—–39
4.1.5 Educational level——-39
4.1.6 Frequency of extension contacts—–40
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations—–56
5.1 Summary ——-56
5.2 Conclusion——57
5.3 Recommendations—58
5.4 Contributions of the study to knowledge —-59
5.5 Suggestions for further study ——60
5.6 References——61
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Agriculture is the dominant occupation of rural Nigerians and is mainly practiced under rain fed condition. It constitutes a significant sector of Nigeria‟s economy and has contributed immensely to its economic development.
It provides food for the growing population, employment for over 65 percent of the population, raw materials and foreign exchange earnings for the development of the industrial sector and generation of household incomes for farmers (Kwage, 2006; Amaza, 2009).
Irrigated land area worldwide occupies about 16% of the total agricultural area and the crop yield of irrigated land is roughly 40% of the total yield (Sundquist, 2007). In other words, irrigated land produces 2.5 times more product than non-irrigated land.
In the Arid and semi-arid areas of the world, irrigation agriculture becomes necessary either to supplement the rain fed crops with water to complete their life cycle or as dry season farming, as rainfall is often inadequate in amount and erratic in distribution.
But, any addition of water from other sources to these soils, either by capillary ascent from the ground water or by irrigation, necessarily implies the addition of salts.
As long as the water added locally to a soil is used entirely for consumptive use of the vegetation salinization of the soil profile is unavoidable (Yakubu, 2008).
REFERENCES
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Adekunle, A. A. Terry, A. O. Ademola, A. A. (2005). Bridging The Communication Gap Between Scientists and Farmers in Katsina State, Nigeria: A Review of the Activities of the Information and Communication Support for Agricultural Growth in Nigeria (ICS-Nigeria) Project in Katsina State, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria: 5-14.
Adeniji, O.B. (2002). Adoption of Improved Technologies for Cotton Production by Farmers in Katsina State, Nigeria. Ph. D. Thesis Postgraduate School Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Adeoti, A. Boubacar, B. Regassa, N. Abdul, K. and Atsu, T. (2007). Treadle Pump Irrigation and Poverty in Ghana, Colombo and Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Research Report No. 117.
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Ahmadu, H. J. (2010). Factors Influencing Adoption of Recommended Fish farming Practices in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. M.Sc. thesis, submitted to Postgraduate School Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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