PurposeAfter a long observation of the high rate of rice importation and low productivity in Côte d’Ivoire, the certified rice seed was introduced and encouraged to be used by the local farmers. This study evaluates the profitability of rice production and the impact of certified seed usage on the yield and income of farmers in Côte d’Ivoire.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 265 rice farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the challenges faced in using certified seeds. Profitability analysis was used to examine the profitability of rice production. To eliminate bias due to the counterfactuals, the endogenous switching regression was employed to investigate the impact of the certified seeds on income and yield.FindingsThe difficulties faced by the rice farmers in the procurement of certified seeds were the unavailability of seeds, the high cost of seeds and poor credit access. Furthermore, rice farmers using certified seeds get a higher net income (USD 263.74/ha) than those using farmers' seeds (USD 212.31/ha). The average treatment on the treated was 1.61 for the yield and 574.75 for the income. The average treatment on the untreated was 1.20 for the yield and 422.59 for the income. These indicate a higher yield and income among adopters of certified rice seed.Research limitations/implicationsCertified rice seed usage is profitable and enhances the output and income of rice farmers. The study advocates the creation of a stronger relationship between the farmers and the extension agents to encourage the use of certified seeds and increase the profit of the farmers.Originality/valueThere is scant information on the profitability of certified rice seed usage and how it affect yield and income. Therefore, this study serves as empirical evidence for policymakers to develop strategies that are required to enhance certified seed usage, boost rice productivity and achieve food security.

Amaçlar: Gelişmekte olan ülkelerde, özellikle kırsal kesimdeki çiftçiler arasında artan gıda güvensizliği ve yoksulluğu, bunu engellemek için daha fazla çaba ve önlem gerektirmektedir. Kırsal çiftçilerin sebze üretimine katılması, yoksulluğun azaltılmasında, beslenme durumlarının ve geçim kaynaklarının iyileştirilmesinde önemli bir rol oynayabilir. Bu nedenle bu çalışma, sebze üretiminin kırsal çiftçilerin geliri ve hanelerin geçim kaynakları üzerindeki etkisini araştırmıştır. Yöntemler ve Sonuçlar: Sebze yetiştiren 400 haneden toplanan veriler, tanımlayıcı istatistikler ve çoklu regresyon kullanılarak analiz edildi. Sonuçlar, sebze yetiştiriciliğinin kadın egemen bir girişim olduğunu ortaya koydu. Ayrıca, sebze üretiminin kırsal hanelerin geliri üzerinde pozitif ve anlamlı bir etkisi olmuştur. Çiftçilerin gelirini etkileyen diğer faktörler hane büyüklüğü, krediye erişim ve çiftlik büyüklüğü idi. Ayrıca sebze üretimi, istihdam, gelir, temel ihtiyaçlar, gıda, okul ücretlerinin ödenmesi, beslenme durumlarını ve yaşam standartlarını iyileştirerek kırsal kesimdeki hanelerin geçim kaynakları üzerinde olumlu etkiler yarattı. Zararlılar ve hastalıklar, yetersiz depolama tesisleri, hasat sonrası kayıplar, yetersiz kredi olanakları, yüksek girdi maliyetleri, yetersiz sulama bilgisi, yetersiz ulaşım ve yetersiz yayım hizmetleri, sebze üretiminde karşılaşılan en ciddi kısıtlamalardır. Sonuç: Sebze üretiminin kırsal hanelerin ekonomik durumuna, geçimine ve refahına büyük katkı sağladığı söylenebilir. Bununla birlikte, girişim bazı zorluklarla karşı karşıya kaldı. Bu nedenle, çiftçilere bankalar, devlet ve sivil toplum kuruluşları tarafından erişilebilir ve uygun fiyatlı kredi imkanları sağlanması, çiftçileri teşvik edeceği, kısıtlamaların çoğunu azaltacağı ve gelirlerini artıracağı için önemlidir. Araştırmanın Önemi ve Etkileri: Sebze üretiminin kırsal kesimde yaşayanların gelir ve geçim kaynakları üzerindeki etkilerini anlamak daha fazla katılımı artıracaktır. Bu nedenle, bu çalışmanın sonucu, politika yapıcıların yoksulluğu ve yetersiz beslenmeyi azaltmak ve kırsal kesimdeki hanelerin refahını iyileştirmek için üretime müdahale etmesine izin verecektir.

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This study examines the implication of contract farming on Olam Out-growers farming scheme in Kwara State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to determine the costs and returns to production of rice, assess the productivity level of rice, evaluate the technical efficiency of rice farm and identify the determinants of the technical inefficiency of the rice farms in contract farming. In this study, the average net farm income of the rice farmers under the scheme was N191,862.56 and the land productivity level was 2,006.04kg/ha. The technical efficiency of the rice farm was estimated using Cobb-Douglas Stochastic Frontier Production function which shows that likelihood coefficients for quality of seeds, hired labour and farm size were statistically significant at 1% level. Likewise, the determinants of technical efficiency among the farmers were household size and farming experience. The results further show that the contract farming scheme has a positive impact on the lives of rice farmers. Therefore, there is a need for partnership with private contract farming outfits in order to improve the current level of access to inputs by rice farmers. Keywords: Contract farming, Out-growers rice farmers, Technical efficiency, Farm income

Climate unpredictability and weather extremes are being projected as capable of presenting additional challenges for farmers currently engaged in the low-technology based food production systems in sub-Saharan countries like Nigeria. This study assessed rice farming households’ vulnerability to climate change in Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data, collected from 150 respondents using simple random sampling procedure were analysed employing descriptive statistic was use to describe the coping strategies adopted and Human Development Index (HDI) was created to assess vulnerability of rice farmers to climate change. Statistical analyses indicated a vulnerability assessment index of 0.3001, pointing to a fact that the zone is prone to the adverse effects of climatic variability. For this reason, the study empirically underscores the need for farmers to adopt and adapt the planting of drought tolerant and/or early maturing varieties of rice. Importantly, the capacities of the local communities needs to be strengthened vis-à-vis the relationship between climate change and crop production. Capacity building at the farm level is crucial for improving crop, soil and water management, enhancing the demand for and use of better and more efficient production inputs. Tied to farm-level capacity building is the need to refocus public agricultural-based institutions towards exposing the rice farmers to effective mitigation strategies in the wake of climate change, provision of agricultural inputs, expansion of irrigation, efficient and effective extension service delivery, market development and other forms of necessary support.