Full Length Research
Socio-Economic Factors influencing the use of
Productivity Enhancing Technologies among Farmers
in Kaduna State
1
Ojeleye, O. A.,
1
Abdulsalam, Z. and
2
Oyewole, S. O.*
1
Department of Agriculturalconomics and Rural Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
2
Savanna Forestry Research Station, Samaru-Zaria. Corresponding author’s email: shola4delord@yahoo.com
Accepted 6 August 2014
This study examined socio-economic factors influencing the use of productivity enhancing
technologies among farmers in Kaduna State. Data were obtained from 60 farmers with the aid of
structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression
analysis. The results showed that 76.5% of the respondents have household size ranging between 6-15
persons. The mean age of respondents was 41.983. It was revealed that 82.4% of the respondents have
farming experience of more than 10 years. About 32.9%, 11.7% and 4.1% had primary, secondary and
post secondary education respectively. The use of pesticides and herbicides among farmers is
accounted for by 80% of the respondents. It is noted that 76.7% and 81.7% of the farmers are aware and
have adopted the use of improved seeds and animal traction respectively. The results further revealed
that membership of association and extension contact were positively and significantly influential to
the use of productivity enhancing practices. It was recommended that farmers are encouraged to come
together and form farmers associations which will promote their vocation providing a favourable
climate for contact and the gaining of experience from the competent and experienced members.
Keywords: Productivity, Technologies, Farmers, Kaduna State
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture remains the backbone of the Nigeria economy
since independence, employing more than 70 percent of
the country’s population. Small farmers dominate the
sector and provide the bulk of the nation’s domestic food
supply (FAO, 2003). Nigerian agriculture is characterized
by small holders farming. About 90% of total agricultural
output is generated by household, which on average
cultivate about 2 hectares of land (Government of the
FRN, 2006), with the hand hoe traditional agriculture, low
usage of agricultural inputs like the fertilizers, herbicides,
pesticides, improved seeds, credit facilities, are
prevalent. The resultant effect of this has made
Academic Research Journal of
Agricultural Science and
Research
Vol. 2(4), pp. 57-62, August 2014
ISSN: 2360-7874©2014 Academic Research Journals
http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/ARJASR/Index.htm