FACTORS INFLUENCING FARMERS PARTICIPATION IN SORGHUM (SORGHUM bicolor L.) PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined factors influencing farmers’ participation in sorghum production in central zone of Bauchi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 160 respondents. Data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires and descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that 90%, 76.9% and 51.9% of the respondents were male, married and were within their active ages of production, respectively. Majority (91.9% and 87.5%) of the respondents were full time and subsistence sorghum farmers with the majority (64.4%) of the respondents had farming experience of 2-7 years. Majority (75.6% and 68.8%) of the respondents belonged to farmers association with annual income of 12,000-49,600 respectively. The result further revealed that factors such as marital status, educational level, farm size, extension contacts/visits, land acquisition and membership of association were significantly influencing farmers participation in sorghum production in the study area at (P<0.01), P<0.05) and (P<0.10), respectively. Inadequate land (95.6%), high cost of herbicides (94.4%) and insecticides (93.8%) were the major constraints faced by the respondents and were ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. The study concluded that, marital status, level of education, farm size, extension contact, land acquisition and membership of association were the factors influencing farmers participation in sorghum production. It was recommended that Government and other stakeholders should provide farmers with adequate and affordable inputs before the onset of raining season, government should recruit more extension agents to facilitate farmers’ participation in sorghum production and also, government should provide adequate improved seeds at subsidized rates to sorghum farmers.