FACTORS INFLUENCING THE UTILIZATION OF IMPROVED CEREAL

CROP PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES BY SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN

AKINYELE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, IBADAN.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study.

The role of agriculture in Nigeria’s economy cannot be over-emphasized. It provides food

for its growing population, employment for majority of the population as well as raw

materials for agro-industries. Despite its importance, agriculture in Nigeria still faced

with numerous problems resulted to low productivity. Generally, the Nigerian agricultural

industry’s poor performance despite various efforts made by government in increasing

food production has been blamed on poor allocation and management of resources, low

level of technology, inadequate capital, poor economic infrastructure and lack of

adequate incentives amongst others (Sanni, 1991).

The adoption of improved agricultural technologies continues to be seen as an important

route out of poverty in most of the developing world. Yet, as expressed by Bandier and

Rasul (2006) agricultural innovations are often adopted slowly and several aspects of

adoption remain poorly understood. These are considered as potential explanations for

low adoption of improved agricultural technologies. Agriculture is the supplier of basic

human need, nutrition is the world’s largest user of land, occupying more than one third

of Earth’s terrestrial surface and using vast amounts of water. It affects our daily life in

many ways, both directly and indirectly. Agricultural technologies play immense role in

increasing food productivity. As a result, it is useful to examine the adoption of

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technologies among farmers. Agricultural technologies are said to include all kinds of

improved techniques and practices which affect the growth of agricultural output (Jain et

al., 2009).

A study by Kariyasa and Dewi (2013) indicate that the adoption of improved

technologies increase productivity, which later results in socio-economic development.

Adoption of improved agricultural technologies has been associated with higher earnings

and a reduction in rural poverty among farm households; improved nutritional status;

lower staple food prices; increased employment opportunities as well as earnings for

landless laborers. The seven principal cereals grown in the world are wheat, maize, rice,

barley, oats, rye and sorghum. Wheat became very popular because of the bread

produced. In Europe, rye was very popular for bread-making. Barley was also introduced

from Europe and was commonly grown for its high food value for both animals and

humans. Oats had a lower food value than barley but they grow well in the damper

climate .

Cereal processing represents an important part of the food production chain, but the

contribution of cereals to the nonfood sector should not be overlooked. Milling represents

the principal procedure in the cereal industry and is classified in two categories: dry and

wet, while each has its own characteristics. Dry milling separates the outer fibrous

materials and germ, which are considered by-products of the grain endosperm. Dry

milling can also refer to pearling, which is an abrasive technique that gradually removes

the seed coat (testa and pericarp), aleurone and subaleurone layers, and the germ to obtain

polished grain (rice, oat, and barley) and by-products with high concentration of bioactive

compounds. On the other hand, wet milling is mainly used for the production of starch

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and gluten, having as coproducts steep solids (rich in nutrients valuable for the

pharmaceutical industry), germ (intended for the oil-crushing industry), and bran.

Malting is a process intended for the production of beer and other alcoholic beverages

when fermentable sugars and starch of the grain (most usually barley) are consumed by

enzymes, leaving behind spent grain.

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a grass cultivated worldwide. Wheat is usually ground to flour

which is used to produce a wide range of products. The type of flour produced differs

according to the rate of extraction. Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour,

livestock feed and for fermentation to make alcohol. Wheat can be fermented to make

beer. The husk can be separated and ground into bran. Wheat is also planted as a forage

crop for livestock and the straw can be used as a ruminant feed component or

construction material.

Maize (or corn, Zea mays) is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica. It is

called corn in the USA, Canada and Australia, but in other countries that term may refer

to other cereal grains . Hybrid maize is favored by farmers over conventional varieties for

its high grain yield. It may be processed to make many different ingredients (e.g. high

fructose corn syrup which can be used as an alternative to sucrose derived from sugar

cane and sugar beet) and food products. Its germ is rich in oil and can be refined to

produce corn oil. Finally, maize is one of the first crops for which genetically modified

varieties make up a significant. Type of cultivar/hybrid to be grown depends on the crop

season namely, spring, Kharif or Rabi.

Rice is a dietary staple of more than half of the world's human population (most of Asia

and Latin America), making it the most consumed cereal grain. Rice cultivation is well

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suited to countries and regions with low labor costs and high rainfall, as it is very labor-

intensive to cultivate and requires plenty of water for irrigation. However, it can be

grown practically anywhere, even on steep hillsides. Rice is the world's third largest crop,

behind maize (corn) and wheat. Brown rice has its outer husk removed and white rice is

milled and polished further to remove the bran and germ.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass

family Poaceae . Barley is mainly sold as pearl barley, which is the whole grain with its

husk removed. It is also used in bread (as flour) and ground as porridge in some countries

. Barley is used mainly for malting. Malting is the process where the barley grain is

germinated thus producing enzymes which convert its starch reserves to sugars, mainly

maltose.

Oat (Avena sativa) is a species of cereal grain and the seeds of this plant. It is used for

food for people and as fodder for animals, especially poultry and horses. Oat straw is

used as animal bedding and sometimes as animal feed. Oat straw is also used in corn

dolly making and it is the favorite filling for home-made lace pillows .

Rye is also a crop that has declined in popularity and today is no longer grown on a

substantial level. Previously grown as a poor alternative to wheat, its main function was

as a fodder crop. The increased production of barley has reduced its importance. Rye

contains a low amount of gluten, thus producing breads with low volume and a dense

texture.

Adoption of improved cereal crop production technologies are related to difficulties

inherent in using q practice; the consistency or how adaptable the practice is in the

context of the existing practices in which the farmers are already familiar with; and the

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expectations of the farmers using the practice. In addition to this, the government has

been pursuing holistic measures as part of the country’s intensification efforts aimed at

addressing constraints and challenges related to the supply and use of agricultural inputs.

As a result of which, the share of farm households using agricultural inputs in the sector

has increased over the last decades. For example, the share of cereal producers using

improved seed has increased from 10% in 2004/05 to 21% in 2013/14, while chemical

fertilizer imports have increased by 124% and fertilizer use by smallholders increased by

144% between 2004/05 and 2013/14 (World Bank, 2016). However, during the GTP I

period the performance of improved input supply sill falls short of the target set. The

amount of fertilizer supplied in 2014/15 was a record 1.201 million quintals, but this was

only 72.2% of the target set for the year. The supply of improved seeds was only 1.514

million quintals, which accounted for about 42% of the target set for 2014/15 (NPC,

2016).

Because of the efforts, cereal production has grown significantly in the country, rising

from 61.5 million quintals in 1994/95 to 296.7 million quintals in 2019/20 with an

average annual growth rate of 6.6%. Growth in cereal production increased more rapidly

by 7.2% particularly since 2004/05 than the previous years with an average growth rate

of 3.97%, while the cultivated area under cereal increased by only 2.5% at a declining

rate. This is perhaps a reflection of heavy policy emphasis on cereals (Rashid, 2010).

Despite the significant shift in the volume of crop production, cereal productivity remains

very low relative to its potential yields. Many factors contribute to the low levels of

productivity in the country, among others, limited access, utilization, and inefficiency in

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the use of production inputs (Urgessa, 2015; Yu et al., 2011) are the significant limiting

factors to improve productivity.

Besides, the domestic price for cereals is also growing from time to time due to the rapid

increase in domestic demand, rapid population growth, income, and urbanization. The

projected population of Nigeria in 2015 that was 90.0 is expected to be 171.8 million in

2050 (UN, 2019) with 2.6% of an annual growth rate. This shows that the population of

the country is expected to increase by 81.8 million over 35 years. On the other hand, the

country’s import of cereals (wheat, rice, and barley), edible oil and lint cotton continues

to rise dramatically, now costing over a billion dollars every year (Diriba, 2020). The

situation reminds raising the productivity and efficiency of smallholders is one of the

essential aspects of agricultural policy interventions to address food

1.2 Problem statements.

Intensity of extension contact, amount and use of credit, cooperative membership, all of

which are institutional in nature, were found to be most important factors influencing the

adoption of improved cereal crop production technologies..Adoption of improved cereal

crop production technologies may, in part, be related to the way farmers receive the

technologies introduced to them. The important factors in such a perception are the

difficulties inherent in using a practice; the consistency or how adaptable the practice is

in the context of the existing practices in which the farmers are already familiar with; and

the expectations of the farmers using the practice.

The major problem facing small-scale cereal crop farmers is the need to transform their

agricultural Industry from one depending on traditional inputs (hoes and Cutlass) with

low productivity to the one based on modern inputs (new variety of seed, machinery, new

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production method) with higher Productivity. Oyo State government assists local farmers

through the provision of fertilizers and seeds at subsidized rates and the services of

agricultural extension workers, in addition to the availability of simple farm implements

like machetes and hoes.

supply gaps in the country.

Satisfying increased demand for food and agricultural products for developing countries

like Nigeria, it requires technological packages, the more efficient use of production

technologies, and a combination of both, among others (Dhungana et al., 2004; IFAD,

2013; World Bank, 2007). The adoption of technological packages ranges from improved

high-value varieties, farming equipment, natural resource management practices, to

conservation agriculture practices (Ogundari and Bolarinwa, 2018). Whereas, production

efficiency is a way to ensure that products are produced in the best and most profitable

manner (Mardani and Salarpour, 2015).

1.3 Research questions

i. What are the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents in the study area?

ii. What are the improved cereal crop production technologies?

iii. What is the level of awareness of small-scale farmers on improved cereal crop

production technologies?

iv. What are the source and uses of capital resources by small scale farmers for the

adoption of improved cereal crop production technologies?

v. What are the factors influencing the utilization of improved cereal crop

production technologies?

1.4. Objectives of the study

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The main objective of this study is to assess the factors influencing the utilization of

improved cereal crop production technologies by small scale farmers.

The specific objectives are to;

i. determine the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents in the study area

ii. determine the improved cereal crop technologies

iii. evaluate the level of awareness of small-scale Farmers on improved cereal crop

production technologies.

iv. ascertain the source and uses of capital resource by small-scale farmers for the

adoption of improved cereal crop production technologies.

v. evaluate the factors influencing the utilization of improved cereal crop production

technologies?

1.5 Hypothesis of the study

Ho1. There is no significant relationship between challenges faced and adoption of

improved cereal crop production technologies by small-scale farmers.

Ho2. There is no significant relationship between socio-economic variables influencing

adoption of improved cereal crop production and the sources and it uses of capital

resources by small-scale farmers.

1.6. Justification of the study

This study is aimed at assessing the factors influencing the utilization of improved cereal

crop production technologies by small-scale farmers in Akinyele local government area

Oyo State. Despite the improvements made over the last four decades in the agricultural

sector, a combination of declining soil fertility, population growth, low uptake of external

inputs, and climate disruption has resulted in a dramatic fall in per capita food production

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(Pretty et al., 2011). In addition, the new agricultural technologies are hardly successful

in Sub-Saharan Africa, where hunger is on the increase. Important pockets of poverty

remain in areas characterized by rain fed agriculture or fragile soils and which affects

close to one billion people.

Moreover, since recently the Government has been promoting cluster-based crop

production approaches as a way to encourage smallholder farmers to adopt new crop

varieties along with its fully improved cereal management practices. The approach has

been increasingly practiced in major cereals crops growing areas of the country., It is a

method by which farmers merge their small and fragmented plots of farms into a big

mother farm to produce the same type of crop and variety.

Productivity gains through improved technology and efficiency are the main sources of

growth in agriculture and the primary means to satisfy increased demand for food and

agricultural products for developing countries like Nigeria (World Bank, 2007).

Empirical evidence also suggests that growth in agricultural productivity through

intensification, adoption of improved technologies, and more efficient use of inputs have

become successful in Asia (Pingali and Heisey, 1999). This shows that the adoption of

technological packages and improving production efficiency are two key strategies

followed to increase the production and productivity of smallholder farmers. Therefore,

technology adoption and efficiency analysis are crucial to generate evidence that guides

intensification strategy.

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