.DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN COCOA PRODUCTION IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study assessed the determinants of women participation in cocoa production in Ondo State. It ascertained the socio economic characteristics of the women farmers in Ondo State. It examined the factors determining women participation in cocoa production activities, the level of women participation in various cocoa production activities, the sources of agricultural information available to the women farmers and identified the constraints to women farmers’ participation. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select 120 respondents. Interview schedule was used to collect data from the women farmers. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the average age of respondents was 51.3 years and 40%of the respondents were between 41-56years, 64.1%of the respondents were married, 29.1%completed secondary school while highest household size was 6-10 members (56.7%). Also, 76.7% had other sources of income. It was also found that the average cocoa farming experience was 22.7 years with 43.3% of the respondents cultivating an average of 1.73 hectares. Furthermore, 43.3% used family labour and 28.3% of the respondents used their personal savings as their major source of fund. Majority of the respondents had high access to information from fellow farmers with mean of 1.64, relations 1.30 and radio (1.21). Cost of inputs (x̅ =2.66), access to credit (x̅ =2.60), land tenure system (x̅ =2.02), access to market (x̅ =1.97) and source of labour (x̅ =1.91) were found to be the major factors determining respondents’ participation in cocoa production. The study, in addition, revealed respondents’ participation level in cocoa production activities as with drying and sorting (x̅ =3.07), pod breaking (x̅ =2.71), intercropping with food crops (x̅ =2.62) and fermenting of cocoa (x̅ =2.08). The study also revealed the constraints militating against women participation as capital (x̅ =2.86), instability in market price (x̅ =2.68), high cost of inputs (x̅ =2.44), diseases and pest (x̅ =2.37), low pricing of cocoa (x̅ =2.36). The Chi square test showed that there was no significant relationship between the constraints to participation and the respondents’ level of participation in cocoa production activities p=0.62. The study concluded that the respondents were married and were in their active age and had one form of education or the other. Fellow farmers, relations and extension agents were the major sources of information on cocoa production activities. Majority of the farmers were mainly involved in post-harvesting handling, it was further concluded that there was a significant relationship between respondents’marital status, educational level and household size an marital status, educational level and household size and their level of participation in cocoa production activities. It was therefore, recommended that government should come up with policies to regulate the land tenure system, that financial assistance should be provided to women cocoa farmers through micro credit facilities, also that inputs should be subsidised and extension agents empowered.