ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN FADAMA AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was conducted on the Economic Assessment of Public-Private Partnership in Fadama Agriculture Development Projects. It also determined and analysed the cost efficiency of Fadama farmers, factors affecting the performance of farmers in the project and identified the constraint to public-private partnership in the Fadama agriculture development project. This was to provide information on public-private partnerships in the Fadama agriculture development project and to know the factors influencing the performance of farmers in the project. A questionnaire survey was conducted among farmers that participated in the Fadama project. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of three hundred and twenty farmers, questionnaires were administered and used for the analysis. The perception of the farmers based on the roles played by different stakeholder involved in the Fadama project was also analysed using descriptive statistics. Cost efficiency of Fadama III farmers was measure using efficiency analysis, factors affecting the performance of farmers on the project were measured using multiple regression and the constraint to public-private partnership in the Fadama project was measured using constraint rank analysis. The result showed that cooperative society and research institute contributed most to the provision of farm input, cooperative society, and government agencies contributed mostly to provision of access to market and end-user, government agencies contributed mostly to provision of extension services, provision of loans and subsidies and private organization contributed mostly to provision of farm inputs. In measuring cost efficiency scores, it was observed from the results and conclusions that about 12% of the farmers’ costs were wasted relative to the best farms producing the same output and facing the same technology but fairly cost efficient. Also, the result revealed that age, gender, total cost of acquiring farmland and size of farmland have a significant relationship with the farmer's performance. To the constraint, the result has it that inadequate farmland and land tenure systems were the major constraints to public-private partnerships in the Fadama Agriculture Development project. Based on the conclusion, it is recommended that for more impact, the partners should increase funding and play an active role in monitoring and evaluation while the government makes access to land on long term tenure.