Financial, Public and Regional Economics
Abstract
Increasing access to improved farm inputs at a subsidized rate has urgently become the focus
of government programmes. This study therefore examined the effect and shortcomings of GES
Scheme on rice farmers’ productivity. A cross-sectional data of 160 smallholder rice farming
households was selected through multistage random sampling technique from three major riceproducing
local government areas. The total number of communities randomly selected was six. The
data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and the objectives were analysed using
descriptive statistics and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) index. The results revealed that the average
age of the rice farmers in the study area was about 46 years. More male farmers (73.1%) were involved
in the Scheme than their female counterparts. Among the registered rice farmers, 58.7 percent received
telephone alerts for the subsidized inputs (fertilizer and seeds), but not all the farmers were able to gain
access to the inputs due to cash constraint, missing names at the redemption centres, untimely supply,
among others. The results from the TFP index showed that the participants were productive. They had
an average of 10% net gain from the cost incurred in production. Using the TFP index, it was revealed
that rice farmers in Gbonyin local government area are the most (80%) productive among others. It was
therefore recommended that timely supply of inputs should be ensured and an efficient monitoring team
should be in place to check inadequacies in this Scheme.
References
Developing Areas, 52(1), pp. 15-28.
Adeoti, A.I. (2009). Factors Influencing Irrigation Technology Adoption and its Impaction Household
Poverty in Ghana. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics,
Volume 109, No. 1, pp. 51–63.
Akande, T. (2005). The State and the Nigerian Green Revolution. The African Food Crisis: Lessons
from the Asian Green Revolution, p. 169.
Akinwumi, A. (2012). Investing in Nigeria’s Agricultural Value Chains. A paper presented to the Bank
of Industry Nigerian Investment Forum. London, and July 30.
Asenso-Okyere, K.C. (2011). Understanding the Interaction between Farm Labour Productivity, and
Health and Nutrition: A Survey of the Evidence. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics
3(3), pp. 80–90.
Awotide B.A.; Awoyemi, T.T.; Diagne, A. & Ojehomon, V.T. (2011). Impact of Access to Subsidized
Certified Improved Rice Seed on Income: Evidence from Rice Farming Households in Nigeria. Ontario
International Development Agency, ISSN 1923-6654.
Ayoola, J.B; Dangbegnon, C.; Daudu, C.K.; Mando, A.; Kudi, T.M.; Amapu, I.Y.; Adeosun, J.O. &
Ezui, K.S. (2011). Socio-economic Factors Influencing Rice Production among Male and Female
Farmers in Northern Guinea Savannah, Nigeria: Lessons for Promoting Gender Equity in Action
Research. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America, ISSN Print: 2151-7517.
FEPSAN (2012). Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria. Newsletter, volume 3(2).
Harman, L. (1998). Systematic impact review of agricultural input subsidies and public health product
subsidies in low income countries.
Heckman, J. & Smith, J. (1999). The Pre-program Earnings Dip and the Determinants of Participation
in Social Program: Implications for Simple Program Evaluation Strategies; Working Paper, No. 6983.
Washington. D.C.: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Heckman, J.J. (1979). Sample Selection Bias as a Specification Error. Econometrica, 47(1), pp. 153-
161.
Matanmi, B.M; Adesiji, G.B; Owawusi, W.O & Oladipo, F.O (2011). Perceived Factors Limiting Rice
Production in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Social
Research (JASR), vol. 11(2).
Mustapha, S.B; Undiandeye, U.C.; Sanusi, A.M. & Bakari, S. (2012). Analysis of adoption of improved
rice production technologies in Jeer local government area of Borno state, Nigeria; International
Journal of Development and Sustainability, Volume 1(3), pp. 1112-1120.
Ogundele, O.O. & Okoruwa, V.O. (2006). Technical Efficiency Differentials in Rice Production
Technologies in Nigeria. AERC Research Paper, 154 African Economic Research Consortium, Nairobi,
Kenya.
Omotayo, A.O. (2016). Malaria Treatment and Farming Households’ Income Poverty in Lagos State,
Nigeria. Journal of Human Ecology, 56(1-2), pp. 126-134.
Omotayo, A.O. (2017). Farming Households’ Environment, Nutrition and Health Interplay in
Southwest, Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences, 3(3), pp.
084-098
Tiri, G.D.; Ojoko, E.A. & Aruwayo, A. (2014). Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) and the
Challenges of Food Scarcity in Nigeria: A Review. ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science, Vol. 9(7), ISSN 1990-6145.
WARDA (2006). Rice trends in sub-Saharan Africa. Second Edition. WARDA, Bouake.
Yawson, D.O. (2010). Ghana’s Fertilizer Subsidy Policy: Early Field Lessons from Farmers in the
Central Region. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 12(3), pp. 191-203.
Yusuf, Y. (2004). The Role of Public sector in making Agriculture economically viable to economic
summit. Arewa House, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Zaman, H. (2000). Assessing the poverty and vulnerability impact of micro-credit in Bangladesh: A
case study of BRAC; Development Sector Policy Paper. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
The author fully assumes the content originality and the holograph signature makes him responsible in case of trial.
