DOES AGRICULTURAL TRAINING TRANSLATE TO ECONOMIC GAINS? EVIDENCE FROM INTEGRATED SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT (ISFM) INTERVENTION AMONG SMALLHOLDER MAIZE FARMERS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of ISFM training in improving maize productivity and income of smallholder farmers. Specifically, the study sought to evaluate changes in ISFM technology adoption before and after the training intervention; and compare productivity and income between farmers in the treatment and control groups. The study employed randomized controlled trials (RCT) approach to randomly assigned 39 of the farmers to the treatment group that received structured ISFM training and the remaining 39 farmers to the control group that did not receive the training. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, double difference estimator, independent sample-t-test, and paired sample t-test. The results revealed there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups across all observed socio-economic variables. Inorganic fertilizer dominated the ISFM technologies utilized by farmers in the treatment group before and after the training program. The independent sample t-test result on changes in ISFM technology adopted by the farmers in the treatment group before and after the training program revealed 37.3% increase in the number of ISFM technologies used by the farmers after the training. The results of the estimated average treatment effect and t-test analysis of variables used to determine the effects of ISFM training revealed that farmers trained in ISFM technologies achieved productivity that was 788.72kg/ha higher and significantly different at 1% (t = 3.517, P < 0.01) compared to their untrained counterparts. The result also revealed that farmers trained in ISFM technologies earned income that was ₦239715.64/ha higher and significantly different at 5% (t = 2.180, P < 0.05) compared to their untrained counterparts. The study concludes that training on ISFM technologies is a viable and impactful intervention for improving the productivity and income of smallholder maize farmers in Benue State. It was recommended that ISFM training should be expanded to reach more smallholder maize farmers across the States, and that practical ISFM training should be promoted through demonstration farms to reinforce training outcomes.