ABSTRACT

The study examined the effect of commercialization on productivity and welfare of small holder cassava farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select the 120 responded needed for the study. Data analyses were carried out using descriptive analytical tools such as mean, frequencies, percentage and standard deviation, net return analysis, Total factor productivity formula, multiple regression analysis, chow test and factor analysis. The result shows that the mean ages was 40.87 years; and about 51.7% of the respondent were females. Majority (87.5%) of the respondents were married with about 54.2% of them attaining secondary. The mean household was 7 persons while mean farm size was 1.4 hectares. On average the farmers had spent about 11 years in farming. A dominant number of the farmers indicated access to credit (94.2%) while about 86.7% of the cassava farmers in the area belong to farming cooperative. Profit of N96,933.00 for an average cassava farmer in the area was realized per farming season with mean productivity of 1.77 kg/ N. The mean expenditure was N282,005.13. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) result on factors that influenced the level of commercialization of cassava farmers shows that the coefficient age, credit, household size, farming experience, labour input and distance were the significant factors that influenced level commercialization of the cassava farmers in the area. OLS result on determinants of productivity of the cassava farmers in Anambra State shows that farm size, labour, cost of cuttings, extension visit and household size were significant and positively related to productivity while capital and credit were significant and negatively related to productivity. Furthermore, multiple Regression on determinants of welfare of the farmers shows that the coefficients of education, farm size, coefficient of membership of association and farm production cost significantly influenced welfare of the farmers in the study area. The result of the chow test (F=8.023***) on the effect of commercialization on productivity of cassava in the area shows that commercialization had significant effect on productivity of cassava producers. Also the result shows significant effect of commercialization on welfare of cassava producers in the area. Therefore, the study recommend that government should ensure that farm inputs such as improved cassava cutting, fertilizers, tractors and agro-chemicals are made available to farmers at a highly subsidized rate since cassava production was very profitable as shown in the result. Commercialization should be encouraged as it can enhance productivity and welfare of the farmers thereby reducing and improving the economy.