Browsing by Author "Shuaibu, U."

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An Appraisal of Farmers’ Knowledge Level on Information and Communication Technologies Utilization in Niger State, Nigeria
(Journal of Animal and Plant Research, Vol. 01, Issue, 03, 2024) Shuaibu, U.; Abdullahi, A.
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in sharing information is very important in disseminating of agricultural information in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined farmer’s knowledge level on utilization of ICT tools for farming in Niger state, Nigeria. A ordered logit model and descriptive statistics were used to examine the data that were gathered from 135 respondents. The findings showed that the majority of respondents (86.7%) had a good level of education, had an average age of 30, and had an average of 11 years of experience producing food crops. However data analysis reveals that mobile phone (97.8%) ranked first in terms of types of ICTs equipment used by the farmers while, fixed telephone (32.6%) was the least. Farmers also had moderate (61.5%) knowledge level on ICTs equipment. The ordered Logit regression analysis indicates that the following variables were found to be important determinants of farmers' knowledge level about the use of ICTs equipment in crop production: age, gender, marital status, compatibility, relative advantage, educational level, and farming experience. Therefore, it was suggested that an ICT training program be set up or arranged to educate farmers about the benefits of utilizing ICT technology in their farming operations
An Assessment of the Factors Influencing Maize Farmers’ Perception and Adoption of Organic Farming Practices in Niger State, Nigeria
(Journal of Animal and Plant Research, 1(3), 2024) Abdullahi, A.; Shuaibu, U.
This study used Heckman's analytical method to evaluate the impact on corn farmers' perception and adoption of organic farming practices. A multi-stage method was used to select 222 breeders and data collected from a semi-structured survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics (such as frequency, percentage, mean) and Hackman's two-stage selection model. The results showed that farmers in the study area were mostly male (70.3%), educated (62.6%), and had an average age of 35.8 years. Additionally, the fact that the majority of farmers were in favor of organic agriculture resulted in the approval of eight (8) of the 15 agreements in the region. Practices applied are: return of straw to the field (83.8%), mixing (79.7%), mixed tillage (73.0%), hoeing/reduced tillage (66.2%), hoeing/hand weeding (61.3%) and crop rotation (61.3%). 59.9%, slash and burn plants (54.1%) and farm manure (53.2%). The results of Heckman's two-stage analysis show evidence of sample selection problems where rho is different from zero, while lambda and efficiency (Wald chi2 = 40.51) are significant at 10% and 1% respectively. From the selection model, farmers' views on the use of traditional methods are positively influenced by socio-economic factors such as age, education, agriculture, access to extension services, similar benefits and income, while gender and family size are associated with understanding. In the outcome (adoption) model, the results showed that agricultural education and livestock production increased, with small farmers more likely to adopt organic farming than large farmers. Therefore, the culture of maize farmers in Niger is neutral and mostly influenced by the culture of the farmers. Therefore, it is recommended that agricultural suppliers provide sufficient amounts of organic material to corn producers and extension organizations that will train farmers regularly
Assessment of Consumer Preference and Willingness to Pay for Local Rice in Selected Local Government Areas of Niger State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the 11th International Mardin Atuklu Scientific Researches Conference, 2023-12-13) Abdullahi, A.; Shuaibu, U.; Jibrin, S.; Muhammad, H.U.; Ahmed, I.I.
The research work assessed consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for local rice in Niger state, Nigeria. It specifically described the socioeconomic characteristics of local rice consumers in the study area. Data of 103 consumers was collected through a well-structured questionnaire. Heckman two step regression model and likert type of measurement were used to measures the collected parameter. Multi-stage sampling techniques was employed for this study, since the state is divided into three agricultural zones (zone A, B, C). The choice of local rice consumption is evident by their positive perceptions that local rice is healthy, have good taste and superior in quality than polish rice. The households’ characteristics reveal that 55.3% of the respondents were 21-40years old. The mean household size was about 8 persons, 65% were married and 60.2% of the respondent had formal education. The study further revealed that more quantity of locally processed rice is demanded as compared to that of imported rice. Further findings revealed that reasonable price, taste and satisfaction were the major preference for local rice. The study reveals that grain size, market price, marital status and swelling capacity, ease of preparation affects consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for local rice. The study also revealed that majority of the respondents gets their source of information about local rice from friends and neighbors and radio. It is recommended that local processors of rice should ensure the upgrading the locally processed rice as clean as the imported rice to compete favorably in domestic and potential international market.
Assessment of Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Flood Related Losses in Zone One Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the 3rd International Mediterranean Scientific Research and Innovation Congress, 2023) Abdullahi, A.; Shuaibu, U.; Muhammad, H.U.; Jibrin, S.; Ahmed, I.I
This study assesses farmers’ adaptation strategies to flood related losses in zone one area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 147 crop farmers. Data obtained were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics tool used was the Poisson regression model. The results indicated that crop farmers in the study area have the average age of 43years, dominated by males and were married. Majority about 79.7% of the crop farmers were educated in formal institutions and have a mean household size of 5 people. Also the respondents had the mean of 18years of farming experience and 59.9% owned their land with the mean of 1.4 hectares of land. The study revealed that respondents strongly perceived flood effects of loss in farm produce, loss in quality of yield, loss of farm infrastructure, causes soil degradation, pest challenges. The study findings show that common adaptation strategies adopted by the crop farmers include change in planting date, crop rotation, mixed cropping, planting of cover crops and mulching. Furthermore, the Poisson regression result of the determinants of adaptation strategies to flood showed that age, level of education, farming experience, extension visit, credit, compatibility and cost of practice were statistically significant in making decisions. However, the major severe constraints perceived by the respondents include: poor access to adaptation strategies information, high cost of improved crop varieties, lack of access to weather forecast technology by crop farmers and government irresponsiveness to risk management. Therefore, it was recommended that Extension agencies should provide adequate information on various adaptation strategies to farmers, which was one of the major constraints they face, relevant stakeholders and concerned organization should provide farmers with weather forecast technology, financial institutions should make access to credit facilities to farmers to enable them adopt adaptation strategies.
Assessment of Honey Production under Box Hive Technology in Selected Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the 11th International Mardin Atuklu Scientific Researches Conference, 2023) Abdullahi, A.; Shuaibu, U.; Jibrin, S.; Muhammad, H.U.; Ahmed, I.I
This study was undertaken to assess honey production under box hive technology in Kaduna state, Nigeria”. The specific objectives were socio economic characteristics, profitability of honey production, the resource use efficiency of honey production. A purposive sampling technique was used to purposively select 139 bee farmers from three local government areas namely, Giwa, Kagarko and Kachia. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Farm budgeting techniques, Cobb Douglas regression model and resource use efficiency ratio. Result revealed that majority of the bee farmers in the study area were male and within the age bracket of 40-49 years with a mean age of 44. The average household size was 6. About 60.4% of the bee farmers had no formal education, indicating that they are largely illiterates. The average years of farming experience was 15years. About 52.5% of the farmers had contact with extension agents, about 61% had 13 beehives on their farm land. The calculated net farm income of beekeeping in the study area was N13020415, also the returns to naira invested of 2.46 implies that for every N 1 invested in bee farming , a profit of N 1.46 was generated. The regression model shows the fitness of the model with an R2 value of 0.6338. The results showed that the number of breed (bees) used was significant at 1%. The resource use efficiency ratio result revealed that labor, box hive were over utilized, land was under- utilized while the number of larvae was optimally utilized in the study area. Some of the problems encountered by bee farmers in the study area include pesticide and insecticide application close to the apiary, poor road network, theft, problem of securing agricultural loans and excess smoking. From the findings it was concluded that beekeeping is profitable in the study area and can serve as source of income to households. It is recommended that more extension agent should be trained on modern beekeeping so that they can disseminate beekeeping information to the farmers.
Effect of armed banditry on production activities of rural Farming Households in Niger State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the 8th International African Conference on Contemporary Scientific Research, 2024) Abdullahi, A.; Akinnagbe, O.M.; Akinwalere, B.O.; Shuaibu, U.
Armed banditry as a global pandemic has a crippling social, political and economic consequence that tends to be threatening the overall developmental efforts of the affected areas. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of banditry activities on livelihood of farming households in Niger state, Nigeria. A multi-stage purposive sampling technique was adopted, and data were collected from 150 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, and OLS regression model. The study showed that majority of the respondents (63.3%) were married, and their predominant age mean of 43 years. In terms of educational attainment, (86.0%) of the respondents had formal education. The results shows that farmers are more engage in maize farming (100%), and livestock farming (100%), compared to 64.9%, and 28.2%, during banditry activities respectively in the study area respectively. While agro-processing (64.1%), artisanal (53.5%) and transportation (46.9%) as the off-farm livelihood strategies used by the farmers before the incidents of banditry compared to 2.4%, 50.6% and 3.3% during banditry activities respectively. The result shows that banditry creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity for farmers to sustain cultivation (X=3.71) and banditry disrupts field work and production activities thus limiting output (X=3.68), were the major perceived effect of banditry on production activities of the rural households in the study area. The OLS regression model result shows that limited produce for family survival, incidence of rape by bandit, increased cost of food, value of livestock rustled, member of households’ force to migrate, insecurity and household member used as labour. The result concludes that there is low production activities of the faming households during the incidence of banditry activities in the study area. Recommendations made based on the findings of this study include Extension workers should assist farmers to form viable co-operative associations, government at all levels should put in place functional security system like community policing to supplement the operations of other security agencies.
Effect of Banditry Activities on Livelihood Status of Farming Households in Niger State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the 6th International Congress on Contemporary Scientific Research, 2024) Abdullahi, A.; Akinnagbe, O.M.; Akinwalere, B.O.; Shuaibu, U.
Armed banditry as a global pandemic has a crippling social, political and economic consequence that tends to be threatening the overall developmental efforts of the affected areas. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of banditry activities on livelihood of farming households in Niger state, Nigeria. A multi-stage purposive sampling technique was adopted, and data were collected from 150 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, livelihood index and Probit regression model. The study showed that majority of the respondents (63.3%) were married, and their predominant age mean of 43 years. In terms of educational attainment, (86.0%) of the respondents had formal education. Poverty/poor governance, competition for land and water, and social inequality were ranked the topmost factors promoting rural banditry in the study area. While male farmers, female farmers and male youth were the most vulnerable groups of rural banditry attack. The result revealed that (52.0%) of the farmers in the study area had ‘very high’ livelihood status before the effect of banditry activities compared to (60.0%) have low livelihood status after or during banditry activities respectively. The probit regression model result shows that burning and raiding of farmland, killing and kidnapping, destruction of farmland, frequency of insurgency and household size were the negative effect of banditry on farmers livelihood status. While farming experience and access to credit were positively influencing the livelihood status of the rural farmers. The result concludes that the livelihood status of the farmers was very low after the incidence of banditry activities in the study area. Recommendations made based on the findings of this study include Extension workers should assist farmers to form viable co-operative associations, government at all levels should put in place functional security system like community policing to supplement the operations of other security agencies.
Effect of Climate Smart Agriculture on Food Security Status of Arable Crops Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria
(International Journal of Novel Research and Development (IJNRD), 9(6), 2024) Mohammad, H.U.; Shuaibu, U.; Abdullahi, A.; Mohammed, I.N.
The study was conducted to examined the effect of climate smart agriculture on food security status of arable crops farmers in Niger state, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 150 respondents for the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, frequency distribution and inferential statistics such as ordered probit regression F-G-T Model and binary probit regression. The study revealed that majority of the arable crop farmers in the study area had average age of 48 years and married with an average household size of 6 persons. Furthermore, most of the respondents had formal education, with an average of 8 years of formal education, less than average had access to extension services and while membership of cooperative was low. The study also revealed that rotational grazing (𝑋̅ =7.09), planting of cover crops (𝑋̅ =6.76), planting of drought resistance varieties (𝑋̅ =6.57), use of compost and mulch (𝑋̅ =6.54) and capturing and storing water (𝑋̅ =6.35) were the water management strategies CSA adopted. Also, the use of green manure (𝑋̅ =3.32), no-till or zero tillage practice (𝑋̅ =3.16) and agro-forestry (𝑋̅ =3.04) were the conservative CSA strategies adopted. Similarly, the soil and land management CSA strategies adopted include; afforestation (𝑋̅ =6.28), ploughing land in direct direction (𝑋̅ =5.94), crop rotation (𝑋̅ =5.91) and shifting cultivation (𝑋̅ =5.94). the result also shows that level of education, complexity of CSA, access to government support, family labour, relative advantage of CSA and compatibility of CSA were the significant factors influencing adoption of climate smart agricultural technologies in the study area. Furthermore, the result shows that more than half (52.1%) of the arable farmers were food secure. Hence it was recommended that the arable farmers should be encouraged to sustain adoption different CSA practices to enhanced their agricultural productivity.
Effect of livelihood diversification on income security of rural farming households in Osun State, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the International Congress on Food, Agriculture and Environment Researches in Global World, 2024) Shuaibu, U.; Abdullahi, A.; Muhammad, H.U.; Abimboye, T.M.
The study assessed the effect of livelihood diversification on income security of the rural farming households in Osun State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 161 registered farming households and data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The results obtained shows that farmers in the study area were mostly males (87.0%) and formally educated (73.9%) with an average age of 42years. Also, the result showed that arable crop farming (64.0%), livestock farming (41.6%) and poultry farming (59.0%) have higher livelihood diversification among the rural faming households in the study area. While majority of farming households 55.3% had high extent of livelihood diversification. However, age, household size, farming experience, source of labour and farm size positively influence farmers level of livelihood diversification in the study area. The result also reveals that majority (59.0%) of the respondents were income secure. The result on Probit regression model shows that farming experience, farm income, on-farm diversification, and farm size were the significant effect of livelihood diversification on income security. Thus, the result concludes that majority of farming households had high extent of livelihood diversification. Hence, it was recommended that farm households should diversify their sources of livelihood into non-farm so as to increase their earnings to bridge the poverty gap, also financial markets should be looked into by the government when formulating policy and developmental issues.
Factors Affecting Intention to Adopt Urban Farming among Households in Niger State, Nigeria
(International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(11), 2024) Jibrin, S.; Abdullahi, A.; Muhammad, H.U.; Shehu, M.; Shuaibu, U.; Yahya, M.G
The aim of this research is to access the factors affecting intention to adopt urban farming among household in zone 2 of Niger state, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 104 farming households as respondents for the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, frequency distribution and inferential statistics such as ordered logit regression. The result in this research indicates that majority of the respondent are still in their youthful years (30 to 40) and most of them are male. Majority of them have been practicing urban farming for not more than 10years, 80% of them have at least a secondary education. Their major occupation is farming and 74% of the respondents are married. The types of urban farming indicated by the farming households were poultry production (96.2%) and crop production (90.0%) which are also the most adopted urban farming practices in the study area respectively. The result of the ordered logit regression shows that the prob>chi2 is significant at 1% level of probability indicating a relatively good fit for the ordered logit regression model. However, age, level of education, farming experience, cooperative society, credit received, and farm size were the significant factors affecting intention to adopt urban farming practices in the study area. Inadequate land, low access to credit and high cost of medication were the predominant constraints associated with adoption of urban farming practices among the farming households in the study area. The study recommended that government should develop financial products and services tailored to urban farmers, such as microloans or grants. Establish partnerships with financial institutions to provide affordable credit options and financial literacy programs for farmers.
Gender Analysis of Resource-use Efficiency among Sesame Farmers in Niger State
(Book of Proceedings of the 3rd International Mediterranean Scientific Research and Innovation Congress, 2023) Shuaibu, U.; Abdullahi, A.; Jibrin, S.
The study aimed at assessing gender analysis of resource-use efficiency in sesame production in Niger State, Nigeria. A purposive and multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 76 male and 75 female sesame farmers and data collected through structured questionnaire were analyzed using frequency distribution, means, percentages, Cobb-Douglass production function and resource-use efficiency model. Results obtained shows that farmers in the study area were mostly in their productive age (40 years, averagely), married (55.7%) with formal education (86.1%) and household size of (6 persons, averagely). The efficient utilization of production inputs were influenced by Labour, fertilizers, seed and Agrochemicals with MVP to MPC ratios less than unity for land (0.15), and Agrochemicals (0.63), equal to unity for seed (1) and greater than unity for fertilizer application (1.15) and land (1.20). However, the cost and returns shows that sesame production in the study area is a profitable enterprise which shows that for every ₦1.00 invested ₦4.41/4.32 was earned along gender line. More so, sesame farmers were restricted by; Weed pressure in sesame farms, inadequate capital start-up, difficulty in managing pest and diseases, difficulty in accessing loans and high cost of farm inputs. which ranked among the top five (5) prominent constraint in the study area. The production resources in the study area were found not to be efficiently utilized since most of the production inputs were either over or under-utilized. Hence not to optimum economic advantage it is therefore recommended that for optimal use of resources in sesame production, quantities of fertilizer application should be increased while land, labour and Agrochemicals should be reduced.
Risk assessment and management strategies of post-harvest operations in tomatoes production in Niger state, Nigeria
(Book of Proceedings of the International Congress on Food, Agriculture and Environment Researches in Global World, 2024) Abdullahi, A.; Shuaibu, U.; Jibrin, S.,; Saviour, S.E.
The study assessed the risk assessment and management strategies of post-harvest operations in tomatoes production in Niger state, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 119 registered vegetable farmers and data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics (such as frequency count, percentages, mean) and Probit regression model. The results obtained shows that farmers in the study area were mostly males (54.6%) and formally educated (78.2%) with an average age of 34years. Also, majority of the farmers had perception for climatic variability, lack of storage facility and high cost of farm machineries for post-harvest management are recorded with high level of risk associated with post-harvest operation among the farmers in the study area. The results shows that use of modern method of processing (68.1%), processing into tomato paste (78.2), accessing agricultural loans (75.6%), storage in ventilated pit (70.6%) and use of modern storage facility (56.3%) were the top five post-harvest management strategies adopted by the tomato farmers in the study area. However, storage in barns (X ̅=4.29), storage in cold room (X ̅=3.99), storage in open dry shelf room (X ̅=3.77), storage in ventilated pit (X ̅=3.65) and insurance (X ̅=3.61) were top five most effective management strategies adopted by the tomato farmers against post-harvest losses in the study area. The result on Probit regression model shows that the (Prob chi2=0.0002) was statistically significant at 1% level of probability. From the model, the determinant of management strategies adopted by farmers against post-harvest operation was significantly influenced by socioeconomic factors like level of education, marital status, access to extension service, complexibility, and relative advantage were the factors influencing post-harvest management strategies adopted by the farmers. Thus, the result concludes that climatic variability and lack of storage facility were the most prominent sources of risk associated with tomato post-harvest management. Hence, it was recommended that policy interventions on improving farmers’ awareness about post-harvest technologies should be made in order to enhance their adaptive capacity in reducing the adverse impacts of post-harvest loses.