Abstract:
The study identified the effects of institutionally supported farmer’s group/association on food production in Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study ascertained the socio economic characteristics of the respondents in the study area; examined the factors predisposing farmers to join VADI group; the effects of farmers level of technology on food crop production before and after their group formation by ARMTI; identified the supports being received by the groups from ARMTI, VADI project; determined the effect of group formation through VADI on farmers output; and the effect of participation in VADI groups on farmers’ access to credit facilities. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select one hundred and thirty-five (135) respondents. A well-structured and validated interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, percentage with inferential statistics such as regression analysis, chi-square and t-test. The study revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 42 years, mean household size was seven persons while 55.5% of the respondents were female. The educational level among the respondents is low, majority are members of cooperative association, while the respondents had more experience in farming (13 years), with majority (50.5%) of farmers having small size farm. The major source of information available to VADI participants was ARMTI extension agents (59.4%). Commitment to fellow members (𝑥̅=2.9), desire for credit facilities (𝑥̅=2.7), desire for; economics of scale in marketing (𝑥̅=2.1), desires for farm resource support (𝑥̅=1.9) and group processing (𝑥̅=1.8) were the factors that predisposed farmers to join VADI group. Result of Chi-square analysis revealed that there was significant association between the socioeconomic characteristics such as sex (χ2 = 4.799, p = 0.091), marital status (χ2 = 21.031, p = 0.013), educational level (χ2 = 13.268, p = 0.039), farming experience (χ2 = 6.715, p = 0.080), farm size (χ2 = 57.833, p = 0.050) and factors predisposing farmers to join VADI group. There was significant difference between the level of technology utilized by respondents before and after VADI group formation for level of production (t= -30.90), use of processing technology (t= -48.79), level output (t= -23.80), income level (t= -23.87), access to credit facilities (t= -54.51) and savings (t= -20.58). The study concluded that VADI programme has greatly strengthened group formation and also improved access to credit facilities among the farmers. Also the study recommended that more extension workers should be recruited to ensure smooth and efficient communication of relevant information on VADI to farmers.
