ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF GOMBE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON RESOURCE USE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FARMERS IN BAUCHI STATE
ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF GOMBE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON RESOURCE USE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FARMERS IN BAUCHI STATE
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Date
1983-08
Authors
YARO, JESSE ELMA
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Abstract
Increased agricultural productivity is one of
the prerequisites of economic progress, especially
in the developing countries where a large proportion
of the population depends largely on primary
production. One of the ways for increasing agricultural
productivity is to increase the level of farm resources
and to make efficient use of the resources committed
to the farm sector. This has resulted in the
establishment of the various agricultural development
projects in Nigeria. This study was, therefore,
designed to evaluate the impact of the Gombe
Agricultural Development Project on resource use and
productivity of farmers. The objectives of this
study were to describe and compare the structure and
organisation of farms in the two areas, to compare
the extent of labour employment and productivity in
the two areas and to estimate and compare returns
to scale between the two areas.
The analytical tool used in the study were the
farm budget and production function models. The data
necessary for the analysis were obtained through a survey
of 70 farmers comprising 35 in the project and 35 outside
the project area. Secondary data were obtained from
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the farm management survey (agronomic) data of the
Evaluation Unit of the project.
The results of the study indicated that more
family labour input was utilized in the non-project
area than in the project area, while more hired labour
was utilized in the project are. More quantities
of fertilizer, improved seeds and bullock labour were
utilized in the project area than in the non-project
area. The results of the study also indicated higher
gross returns, net returns and labour productivity in
the project area than in the non-project area. The
suits of the production function analysis indicated
that the independent variables, namely farm size, family
sbour, hired labour and non-durable capital reasonably
explain the variability in the total value of output
earned frc farms. Land and family labour have
the highest elasticities in the project and non-project
areas respectively. Land also has the highest marginal
value of product (MVP) in the project area. In
ie non-project area family labour and non-durable
capital have the highest MVP. The results of the
production function analysis in the project and nonproject
areas indicated decreasing and constant
returns to scale respectively.
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The results of the study have indicated some
increases in resource use end productivity through the
piementation of the project. Therefore such programmes
should be planned and implemented to enhance agricultural
production. One of the implications of the study is the
need to educate the farmers on the type, quantity and time
of fertilizer application. Since fertilizer contributes
greatly to raising production, its supply should be made
available to the farmers at the right time. Other improved
inputs such as seed dressing chemicals, varieties of seeds,
pesticides etc. should be made available to farmers
Description
A Thesis submitted to the postgraduate School,
Ahmadu BeIlo University, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Degree of Master of
Science in Agricultural Economics.
Dept. of Agric.Economics & Rural Sociology
Faculty of Agriculture
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
AUGUST, 1983
Keywords
ECONOMIC,, EVALUATION,, IMPACT,, GOMBE,, AGRICULTURAL,, DEVELOPMENT,, PROJECT,, RESOURCE,, PRODUCTIVITY,, FARMERS,, BAUCHI STATE