EFFECT OF MARKET ACCESS ON THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the effect of market access on the adoption of sustainable soil management practices by farmers in the study area. Specifically, the study described the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; identified the sustainable soil management practices adopted by the farmers; determined factors influencing the choice of sustainable soil management practices used; determined the relationship between market access and the adoption intensity of sustainable soil management practices and identified constraints faced in adopting sustainable soil management practices. Multistage sampling procedure was employed to collect data from one hundred and fifty (150) farmers. Thereafter, data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, multivariate probit regression, truncated regression and chi-square. The findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 45 years, with a mean household size of about 6 members. Majority (69.6%) of the respondents had formal education and a mean year of experience of about 18. The study also revealed that all the respondents had access to one form of market or the other for purchase of inputs and sales of their products. In addition, the mean distance covered from farm to home was less than 5 kilometres for most of the respondents while the distance from home to major market and farm to major market was between 5 and 10 kilometres. The most popular sustainable soil management practices adopted by the farmers were the use of chemical fertilizers, crop rotation and intercropping. Furthermore, the multivariate probit regression model showed that age of the respondents, educational level, farm size, household size, farming experience, farm income, awareness of sustainable soil management practices, average distance to the input market, average distance to the output market, average price of product, average price of input for each practice, subsidies on input for each practice, significantly influenced the adoption of sustainable soil management practice by farmers. The result of truncated regression also revealed that educational level, farm size, household size, farm income, awareness of sustainable soil management practices, average distance to the input market, average distance to the output market, credit/loan access, access to extension service, average price of product, average price of input for each practice and subsidies on input for each practice, affected the adoption intensity of sustainable soil management practices by the respondents. Also, it was found by the study that inadequate fund is the major constraint faced by the respondents in adopting sustainable soil management practices. The study therefore concluded that for soil to be used sustainably, there is need for concerted effort, from both local, state and federal Governments to provide and improve market and road infrastructure in the study area as well institute control in the price of inputs used under all the sustainable soil management practices. The study further recommended that good road infrastructure should be put in place by the government so as to reduce the number of hours spent in purchasing of input and sales of farm output and subsequently encourage farmers on adoption of sustainable soil management practices. Then, extension services should be reinforced by the government and NGOs adequately through the provision of necessary facilities that will ensure easy delivery of information to farmers to make sustainable soil management practices popular among the farmers in the study area.