Comparative analysis of the profitability of rice production systems in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract


 
 
 This study describes the socioeconomic characteristics of rice farmers, identifies the production system used by the farmers, compares the profitability of rice production systems, identifies the factors influencing the choice of production systems among the farmers as well as the constraints to rice production systems. A three-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 120 rice farmers on whom a set structured questionnaire was administered. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression model. Results show that 48.3%, 35% and 16.7% of the farmers cultivate rice using the upland, lowland and the combined production systems respectively. The findings also reveal variability in yield, profit and income across the rice production systems. The gross margins for lowland, upland and combined rice production systems were N65,735.73, N67,900.89 and N78,015.57 per hectare respectively. The factors that influenced the choice of upland production system relative to combined production system were age, household size, farming years and extension visits while the factors that influenced the choice for combined rice production system relative to lowland rice production system was income. Inadequate finance to purchase inputs, problem of pests and diseases, and unfavorable climatic conditions are the constraints faced by rice farmers in the upland, lowland and combined production systems. The combined production systems had the highest return per hectare. Therefore, the study recommends that farmers should be encouraged to choose the combined rice production system for optimum profitability of rice production.
 
 

Cost and returns analysis of upland and lowland rice production among farmers in North Central Nigeria

“…On the average, young adult population of rice farmers are more concentrated in Niger State compared to the counterparts in Kwara State. This result is in line with the findings of Oloyede et al (2020) where relatively young population were also reportedly active in rice production in Kwara State.…”

“…Despite the increasing demand for rice, the sustainability and profitability of rice farming in the country, particularly in the North Central region, face numerous challenges. Part of which include, low productivity, high production costs, population explosion, and a lack of access to modern agricultural technologies (Oloyede et al, 2020;Abiola, Omhonlein and Sani, 2021). More so, the escalating costs of production is affecting these resource poor rice farmers.…”

“…More so, the escalating costs of production is affecting these resource poor rice farmers. Factors such as prices of agricultural inputs, limited access to credit, and lack of modern farming technologies contribute to these rising costs, and all these negatively affect income and financial sustainability of rice farmers in Nigeria (Oloyede et al, 2020). Furthermore, variability in farming systems is another serious concern because in Nigeria, and particularly in the North Central region that is characterized by good but diverse agro-ecological zones, as well as upland and lowland areas (Nwahia, 2021).…”

“…Each of these zones presents unique challenges and opportunities for rice cultivation. Meanwhile, these farming systems influence the profitability vis-à-vis the cost and returns of rice farming, and also make it difficult for the farmers to make informed decisions about which system to adopt (Oloyede et al, 2020). The pronounced socio-economic disparities is not also helpful because the profitability performance of rice production varies among smallholder farmers in the Nigeria due to socio-economic and demographic factors.…”

Análisis de eficiencia técnica y rentabilidad del procesamiento local de arroz en el estado de Kwara, Nigeria

“…The demand for rice among the population has not been met by local rice production. This, however, has created a gap between demand and supply and this has caused a shift to importation to meet the demand and local consumption in Nigeria (Oloyede et al, 2020). Farmers are growing rice on different production systems, they use upland, lowland or combined.…”