Assessment of Contribution of Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme on Rice Production in Dass Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria Assessment of Contribution of Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme on Rice Production in Dass Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed contribution of Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP) on rice production in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used in the study and 80 farmers were randomly selected. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result shows that 31.25% of the farmers fell within the age bracket of 31–40 years with average age of 42 years and majority (60%) of the farmers were male. Furthermore, majority (90%) of the farmers were married, and 50% of the farmers acquired tertiary education. The result reveals average farm land of 5.4 ha and 67.5% of the farmers sourced their working capital from their personal savings. The result shows that 37.5% of the farmers were not contacted by the extension agents and 23.8% were visited annually. The result also shows that 58.8% of the farmers sourced their information on rice production from BSADP. The result shows that 97.5% of the farmers adopted weed control technology and 91.3% adopted fertilizer, insect, and disease control technologies. The result also reveals that 91.3% and 62.5% of the farmers obtained extension services rendered by BSADP on source of Agro inputs and capacity building. Majority (61.3%) of the farmers adopted improved rice varieties and 65% of the farmers used broadcasting method in planting. The problems affecting rice farmers include inadequate extension services; difficulty in accessing credit; and difficulty in controlling weeds, pests, and diseases, among others. The study recommends that government should recruit adequate and competent extension workers and to be deployed in the study area. Furthermore, farmers should be encouraged to participate actively in farmers’ organizations to enhance extension service delivery and ease access to credit facilities and inputs. Training should be intensified on appropriate utilization of agro-chemicals to reduce weeds, pests, and disease infestation on rice farms in the study area.