In Nigeria, wheat is a crop of both household and industrial importance. However, despite its good climatic and edaphic conditions, Nigeria still relies on massive wheat importation. This study therefore examined the factors influencing commercial production of wheat in Bakura Local Government Area (a wheat zone) of Zamfara State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from 210 wheat farming households and analyzed with descriptive statistics, household commercialization index (HCI) and tobit regression. The results showed that the average HCI was 54.7%, implying that there is a gap of 45.3% for the farmers to attain full commercialization level. Farm size, fertilizer, credit, access to improved varieties, age of household head, using manpower as the only source of labour for cultivation and non-farm income were found to significantly influence household commercialization of wheat production. The major constraints faced by the household visa -vis wheat production were low output price, inadequate land, lack of production inputs, high cost of inputs, transportation problem, inadequate credit facilities and diseases/pests. This study therefore recommends provision of inputs and credit to farmers, encouraging the youth to actively participate in wheat farming, encouraging wheat farmers through price support programmes as well as expanding farmland put to wheat cultivation.

Sweet potato is a food security crop with ease of production and ability to produce relatively good yields even on marginal soils. Despite these potentials, its yields have drastically reduced in recent years relative to what it used to be in the 60's and 90's. This is not unconnected with climate change, among other factors. This study therefore examines the perceptions of sweet potato farming households on climate change, the strategies employed and factors influencing their adaptation to its effects. Data were collected from 170 sweet potato farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria and analyzed with descriptive statistics, index ranking and logistic regression. Results showed that most of the farmers were aware of climate change and use different strategies to combat its deleterious effects. Factors that positively influence the farmers' adaptation status were educational status, farming experience, farm size and access to agricultural extension services while age had a negative influence on their adaptation status (at p < 0.05). Therefore, policies that will promote literacy and access to extension services among farming households and also encourage young people to practise sweet potato farming should be put in place.

This paper was designed to assess the state and effects of transportation facilities on agricultural development of rural farmers in Moro Local Government Areas of Kwara State. The study made use of structured interview schedules to collect data from 150 farmers by means of four-stage random sampling technique. Analytical tools used include Pearson Product moment correlation and Kruskalwallis ranking. Findings show that mode of transportation in the study area is mostly through headporterage and to a short distance, limiting number of produce that are hulled to the market with little income realized. Motor-cycles are used by some farmers while pick-up vans and small trucks are equally used with huge amount of transport money during haulage. Perishable crops like tomatoes, okra, pepper and yams get damaged in the course of transporting as a result of excessive heat and poor winding and bending roads resulting in loss of quality and reduction in farmers' income; eventually discouraging farmers in expanding his farm size the next growing season. Furthermore, the study found that about 60% of the farmers sell produce at farm gates as a result of high cost of transportation. While constraints in using transportation facilities such as road seasonality, cost of transportation and number of vehicles plying the road with mean of 589.66, 536.46 and 501.50 ranked first, second and third respectively. About 64.7% agreed that these constraints affect their accessibility to agricultural facilities. This has a long devastating effect on agricultural development of the study area. To improve transportation facilities in the area, there is need for rural infrastructural development and need to revive the rail-road system of transportation in rural areas.

No abstract

No abstract