International Journal of Horticulture, 2016, Vol.6, No.3, 1-7
6
Table 2 Estimates of the influences of selected variables on the probability of use of fertilizer among smallholder arable crop farmers
in Osun State
95.0% C.I. for EXP(B)
Coeff.
Std. Error
Wald
P-v
Exp(B)
Lower
Upper
Total Farm output in naira (X
1
)
.000
.000
8.930
.003
1.000
1.000
1.000
Sex of farmer (X
2
)
1.297
1.343
.932
.334
3.657
.263
50.872
Age of farmer (X
3
)
.050
.083
.357
.550
1.051
.893
1.238
Farmers’ level of education (X
4
)
-1.635
.820
3.980
.046
.195
.039
.972
Farm size (X
5
)
-6.757
3.092
4.774
.029
.001
.000
.499
Number of Farm plot (X
6
)
1.700
.707
5.790
.016
5.474
1.371
21.862
Income from other farm enterprise
(X
7
)
.000
.000
3.048
.081
1.000
1.000
1.000
Total off-farm income (X
8
)
.000
.000
3.826
.050
1.000
1.000
1.000
Years of education (X
9
)
.082
.110
.563
.453
1.086
.876
1.346
Price of fertilizer (X
10
)
.000
.000
1.828
.176
.999
.999
1.000
Family size (X
11
)
-.356
.285
1.568
.211
.700
.401
1.223
Total cost of land (X
12
)
.000
.001
.004
.952
1.000
.999
1.001
Total cost of crop input (X
13
)
.000
.000
4.148
.042
.999
.999
1.000
Constant
-6.976
5.206
1.796
.180
.001
The result of the study indicated that total farm output in naira, level of education, farm size, number of farmland
owned and total cost of farmland were important factors influencing farmers’ use of fertilizer in arable crop
production in the study area. Education plays a major role in fertilizer use and is very significant. It can be
concluded that a formal educational institution is a major platform of creating awareness of the immense benefit
of adopting and using new technologies even in agricultural production, aside formal institution, any means of
educating farmers such as extension services, public awareness programs will enhance the use of fertilizer among
arable crop farmers, resulting in increase in agricultural productivity and food security of the country. Thus, it is
recommended that government and other policy makers therefore need to increase farmers’ knowledge and skills
through aforementioned avenues.
Since the study had identified farm size as the major constraints militating against efficient use of fertilizer.
Aftermath of land tenure system led to fragmentation of farmlands. It is recommended that Federal Government
should expedite action in enforcing the land use Decree of 1978 and more liberal in making land available for
agricultural production and the land tenure system can be reviewed in favor of agricultural production.
The descriptive analysis of the socio economic characteristic of respondents reveals that the population of arable
crop farmers in study areas was getting old; as such there is an urgent need to encourage youth into arable crop
production in the area. Rural infrastructure such as roads, electricity and telecommunication should be established
and/or properly maintained where available in the rural areas by the governments at all levels. This will encourage
the youths to stay in the rural areas.
In educating and training of relatively younger farmers, the government and other policy makers need to increase
knowledge and skills of young farmers through avenues such as field days and schools, increase extension contact
with farmers or any other means of building capacity. Also farmers should be train on how to keep proper and
adequate farm record and need to separate family labour from farm business should be discussed in the training
session.
References
Amanze B., Eze C.C., and Eze V., 2010, Factors influencing the use of fertilizer in arable crop production among smallholder farmers in Owerri agricultural
zone of Imo State, Nigeria, Academia arena, 2(6): 90-96
Central Bank of Nigeria CBN 1999,
Issues in Agricultural Input Policy: An Empirical evaluation of Fertilizer Production, Distribution and Price Subsidy in
