PROBLEM AFFECTING SMALL SCALE FARMERS

Code No: 745861

₦5,000.00

ABSTRACT

This research was carried out to determine the problems affecting small-scale farmers in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. Sixty questionnaires were drawn to generate the necessary information to satisfy the aim of this research and they were randomly administered in most of the farming location within the study area. The data analysis based on the findings shows that the most limiting factors to farming activities in the region is finance. 63.33% of the population depended on their personal income while only 36.67% had access to banks or cooperative societies for their farm funding. In addition, land was also noted to mitigate farming operations in the area due to the current multiple use of land in the area.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
        Agricultural production in developing countries has largely been on subsistence basis. The farmers only produce for themselves and immediate families and the quantity of goods produced are grossly inadequate for the growing population. There is an increased wide-spread in the level of poverty amongst the people especially those living in the rural areas. Small scale farming had become the major way to tackle the problem of lack and poverty in this area. An odd growing situation of unemployment in recent years had led many f the rural/urban dwellers into small scale farming and today, the small scale farmers are known for their important and huge contributions to the Gross National product, they are currently the producers of about 98 percent of the food consumed in Nigeria with the only exception of wheat.
        It is imperative for government, non-government agencies and cooperate individuals to help in ameliorating the problems that militates against the farming activities of these small scale farmers in order to enhance a better food and raw amterials supplies in and around the Nigerian environment. Over the years deliberate, though ineffective effort have been made by donors and government to bring about agricultural development without much to show for it much of the failure can be attributed to the adapted transformation approach to agriculture which is characterized by the introduction of a variety of large scale farming and producing technologies. It is however gratifying to note that there is new a shift in emphasis from the big scale transformation approach to the small scale improvement strategy approach which attuned to our age long farm practice.
        Information is an essential ingredient in agricultural development programmes but Nigerian farmers seldom feel the impact of agricultural innovations either because they have no access to such information or because it is poorly disseminated. This research work is aimed at revealing the problems faced by small scale farmers in Ughelli-South in order to showcase them for possible solutions by the various arms of government, non-governmental organizations and interested individuals.