Determinants of crop diversification among small-scale food crop farmers in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of crop diversification in among small-scale food crop farmers in North Central, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 300 randomly selected food crop farmers from the study area. The study uses herfindahl index to measure extent of crop diversification among the farmers in the study area while ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis was used to determine the factors affecting crop diversification and effect of crop diversification on crop production in the study area. The study revealed the mean computed Herfindahl index values of 0.72, and 0.64 for Niger and Kogi States respectively. This impliess that Kogi State food crop farmers shifted towards more diversification cropping patterns than their counterparts in Niger State. However, the overall result in the two States combined in this study shows a mean Herfindahl index of 0.68 which implies that the food crop farmers in the study area were not too diversified in their cropping pattern. The study further revealed that farming experience, extension contact, farm size and land ownership positively and significantly affected diversification among the farmers in the study area. The results of the regression model of the effect of crop diversification on food crop production revealed that crop diversification had positive and significant effect on food crop outputs in the study area. The study therefore recommended that extension agents should create more awareness on the importance of crop diversification on the output of the farmers in the study area. This will further encourage the farmers to improve on the right selection and cultivation of different crop types on their farms which will eventually lead to increase in crop outputs and food security