ROLES OF COOPERATIVE TO REDUCE CONSTRAINTS OF LIVELIHOOD IN RICE FARMING IN NIGER STATE NIGERIA
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Date
2019
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Abstract
This study compared the constraints faced by co-operators and non-cooperators farmers in their rice production
activities in Niger state of Nigeria. Three-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 80 cooperators and
80 non co-operators rice farmers. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Frequency
count, percentage and Chi-Square were statistical tools used for data analysis. Findings showed that the average
age of cooperators and non-cooperators farmers were mean=43.4years and 47.2 years respectively. The average
crop size cultivated by co-operators was 3.5hectares while non-cooperators cultivated 1.92hectares.Cooperators
(100%) and non-cooperators (98.8%) farmers have access to information on rice production from extension
agents. The leading challenge faced by cooperators were high cost of inputs like fertilizers (mean=4.56), non availability of institutional loan(mean=4.15), and encroachment by grazing cattle (mean=4.12) while non cooperators farmers were mostly constrained by high cost of inputs like fertilizers (mean=4.56), inadequate
processing facilities (mean=4.52) and encroachment by grazing cattle (mean=4.48). Results further showed that
constraints faced by cooperator and non-cooperators were statistically different (t=8.44; p=0.000) indicating that
non-cooperator rice farmers were more constrained (mean=4.02) than their cooperator counterparts
(mean=3.45). Chi-square test showed that access to loan and financial support (X2= - 17.640; p=0.000) was
found to have inverse associated with constrained faced by co-operators and farm size (X2
=162.468; p=0.001) of
non-cooperators has positive association with number of constraints that faced them. The study concluded that
constraints faced by cooperators and non-cooperators were statistically different as non-cooperator rice farmers
were found to be more constrained than their cooperator counterparts in Niger state. Hence,farmers are
encouraged to be involved in cooperative societies because of the associated benefits to their enterprise.
Extension services to rice farmers in the study area should focus how to reduce high cost of inputs like
fertilizers, non-availability of institutional loan, encroachment by grazing cattle and inadequate processing
facilities.