FARMERS CONSTRAINTS TO QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE (QPM) ADOPTION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.
Kanai, E. T1; Makarau, S. B.2; Garba, A. O2;Wamagi, I. T.1and Haruna, S1
1School of Agricultural Technology, Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic Zaria, Samaru Kataf Campus
2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Kaduna State University (KASU) Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Email: zimaiyet@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The study analyzed farmers’ constraints toQuality Protein Maize (QPM)adoption in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used in collecting primary data on 380 respondents from four Agricultural Zones using structured questionnaire through survey. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that 67.63% were males with 81.84% married with an average household size of 8 people constituting 72.40%. Majority (63.40%) of the respondents were primarily farmers by occupation with 66.84% having a mean quality protein maize farming experience of 19 years cultivating a mean farm size of 2 hectares. About 60% acquired their farmland through inheritance and 79% attained one form of formal education or the other. The result also revealed that 98.95% and 92.38% of the respondentssourced labour from cooperative (Gaiya) and family respectively while 53.16% had access to credit facilities with 96.05% having accessed credit facilities from relatives. 92.63% had access to extension services and all (100.00%) were aware of quality protein maize and attested to obtaining information on quality protein maize from extension agents accounting for 59%. About 79% of the respondent confirmed being members of cooperative associations. Result of constraints faced by the respondents revealed that 81.84% of the respondents experienced constraints to Quality Protein Maize (QPM) adoption and the most severe constraints were high labour demand and unfavourable weather condition ( = 3.31) respectively, prevalence of pests and dieases ( = 3.14) and high inputs demand ( = 3.12). It was concluded that majority of the responded attested to facing constraints to the adoption of the QPM variety and the most severe constraints were high labour demand, unfavourable weather condition, prevalence of pests and dieases and non-availability of credit. The researchers recommended that farmers should be encouraged to organize themselves into viable cooperative associations, information on weather conditions should be made available to farmers and adoption of QPM should be encouraged among farmers given its’ nutrition and economic values as the readily available and cheap alternative protein source compared to other sources.
Keywords: Quality ProteinMaize, Adoption, KadunaState, Nigeria
