MJAVL Manas Journal of Agriculture Veterinary and Life Sciences ISSN/e-ISSN 1694-7932 Volume 14 (Issue 1) (2024) Pages 54-63 MJAVL Volume 14 (Issue 1) © 2024 https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/mjavl Manas Journal of Agriculture, Veterinary and Life Science is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Research Article Economic Impact Analysis of Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) on Net Farm Income of Rice Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria Olugbenga Omotayo ALABI * 1 , Godfrey Ajayi SUNDAY 2 , Elizabeth Samuel EBUKIBA 3 , Jeremiah Samuel ALUWONG 4 , Paul Akinwumi ATTEH 5 1,3 Department of Agricultural-Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, PMB 117 Gwagwalada-Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, NIGERIA. 2 Plot 1027, Abdul One Mohammed Close, Off Abdulsalam Abubakar Way, Gudu District, Abuja, NIGERIA. 4 Department of Agricultural-Extension and Management, School of Agricultural Technology,Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, Samaru Kataf Campus, Kaduna State, NIGERIA. 5 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University of Lafia, PMB 146 Lafia, Nasarawa State, NIGERIA. *Corresponding author e-mail: omotayoalabi@yahoo.com ABSTRACT ARTICLE INFO This study evaluated economic impact analysis of VCDP on net farm income (NFI) of rice farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Primary data were used. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of 292 rice farmers which comprised of 155 value chain development program beneficiaries and 137 non- beneficiaries. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, multiple regression analysis, difference-in-difference method (DD), propensity score matching (PSM), principal component analysis, F-Chow test, and t-test. The gross margin ratio for VCDP beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries was 88% and 71%. Rice production was profitable. The result of the difference-in-difference regression analysis showed that treatment (P< 0.10), period (P< 0.01), interaction (P< 0.10), level of educational (P< 0.10), and farm experience (P< 0.10), were statistically significant variables influencing the net farm income of rice farmers in the study area. The results of PSM show that the coefficient of Average Treatment Effect for all matching algorithms for net farm income of rice farmers such as nearest neighbor, radius, kernel, and stratification were significant at (P< 0.01). The F-Chow test conducted for difference between NFI of participant and non-participant of VCDP was statistical significant. This shows that VCDP impacted positively on NFI of rice farmers. The study recommends that low-interest loans should be made available to rice farmers to increase income. Keywords: Economic Impact, Value Chain Development Programme(VCDP), Rice Farmers, Nigeria Cite this article as: Alabi, O. O., Sunday, G. A., Ebukiba, E. S., Aluwong, J. S., & Atteh, P. A. (2024). Economic Impact Analysis of Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) on Net Farm Income of Rice Farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Manas Journal of Agriculture Veterinary and Life Sciences, 14(1), 54-63. https://doi.org/10.53518/mjavl.1349336 Received: 24.08.2023 Accepted: 26.12.2023