AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTION UNDER THE OLD ONDO STATE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Abstract

This study was conducted to make an economic study of food crop production under the Old Ondo State Agricultural Development Programme (ODSADEP) which derived from the enclave Ekiti, Akoko, Agricultural Development Project (EAADP), in January, 1989. The main objective of the study is to make an economic study of food crop production under the Old (ODSADEP) and the specified objectives include: identifying some socio-economic characteristics of the farmers in the programme, comparing the net incomes of contact and non-contact farmers in the programme, studying the nature of infrastructural provision of ODSADEP, and identifying the problems affecting efficient performance of the Old Ondo State ADP. Before the creation of Ekiti State in 1996, the Old Ondo State was classified into six zones by the ODSADEP. These zones were: Ikole, Aramoko, Owo, Ondo, Okitipupa and Ikare. Since creation of Ekiti State however, Ondo State now has two zones (Owo and Ondo). Three out of these zO.f!.esbefore creation were randomly selected using primary data on 144 farmers .. Descriptive statistics, net income analysis, and least square multiple regression analysis were carried out to assess the performance of the programme and to examine the socio-economic variables from the study area. The study revealed that the mean age of the farmers was 44.5 years with average household size of 8 persons. Ninety five percent (95%) of the respondents were polygamist. The involvement of women in agriculture was found to be extremely low in the study area. Fifty nine percent (59 %) of the farmers did not have formal education. The average farm size of the contact farmers was 3.4 hectares, while those of the non iicontact farmers was 2.7 hectares. Farmers in the study area were small holders, while inheritance constituted the largest mode of land acquisition. The study also shows that contact farmers of the Old Ondo ADP operated at reasonably high level of production efficiency. The net income per hectare of the contact farmers (N7,595) was higher than those of the non-contact farmers (N 6,301). This evidence showed that farmers operating under disciplined institution like the Old Ondo State Agricultural Development Programme have better welfare than those operating on their own unaided. It was observed that the major inputs commonly distributed to farmers in the programme were fertilizers, agro- chemicals, poultry feeds, and hardwares (cutlasses, hoes) and chemicals used for storing grains. The programme was found to be inadequately funded by the State, while the Federal Government and the World Bank met 50% and above of the required anticipated counterpart finance. Illilteracy, land acquisition and high cost of labour and tractors were the major impediments encountered by the farmers in the study area, while mobility has been the key management problem in extending research know-how to farmers at the appropriate time.