Mitigating Risks in Smallholder Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor [L.] Moench) Production Systems

Abstract

Risks in agriculture include those related to the production, market, credit, technological, institutional, and human resource sectors; hence, low output in sorghum production is attributable to poor management practices among smallholders in Nigeria. Therefore, this study evaluated sorghum production risks and mitigation measures in small-scale farms in Toro, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Primary data collected via multi-stage sampling from 145 respondents was evaluated utilizing Descriptive Statistics and Adoption Index. The results showed the prevalent sorghum production risks include low farm output (80.7%), post-harvest losses and limited technology (69.7%), flood/drought (61.4%), damage by birds (57.2%) and commodity price volatility (53.8%). Most (98.2%) of the respondents adopted mixed cropping; this practice promotes agro-crop diversity in smallholder farming systems. Other critical mitigation measures include farm enterprise diversification (80.0%), improved technology adoption (72.4%), fertilizer application (67.6%); agrochemical application (55.9%) and improved agronomic practices (51.0%). Additionally, the adoption index of 64.8% of farmers is 0.33 or less; this index of adoption of measures of mitigating production risks was low and relatively inadequate. Furthermore, the major constraints of adoption of measures of mitigating production risks include inadequate capital (94.5%), poor access to agricultural technology and credit (73.1%), cost of adaptation strategy (69.7%) and poor input supply (51.7%). Improved access to agricultural credit and farm capital; adequate input supply and technology transfer, smallholder capacity building, improved extension and financial services; and effective policy modifications are strongly recommended.