ABSTRACT

This study analyses the socio-economic factors affecting farm size in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. Random sampling techniques were used to select 60 respondents. The farmers were interviewed using a well structured questionnaire and oral interview. Descriptive statistics as frequency distributed tables and percentages and regression analysis were used as analytical tools. Results showed that the mean age of the respondents was 49 years, indicating that they are middle age. They are more male farmers than the female farmers in the study area. Majority of the respondents were small scale holding farmers, married, literate and well experienced in farming. Majority of farmers acquired their land by inheritance which is the major cause of land fragmentation. Soil erosion is being discovered too as the major constraints facing the farmers as a result of their topography. Eighty three percent of the respondents had farm size of at most three hectares and the mean is 2.07 hectares indicating that farmers were small scale holding farmers, since their farm size were less than 5 hectares. The result of regression analysis showed that age, income, household size and price were significant variable affecting farm size in the study area; However age and price were significant at one percent and negatively related to farm size while household size and income were significant at one percent and positively related to farm size. Moreover, further investigation on factors influencing farm size and the income generated from farm land using regression analysis showed that double log form gave the best fit. Then the choice of lead equation was based on the value of the coefficient of multiple determinations (R2), F-Statistics and the signs of the coefficients of explanatory variables in conformity with apriori expectations. The results showed that income was the dependent variables while occupation, cooperative, farm size and input cost were significant socio economic factors affecting income of farmers with respect to farm size in the study area. Occupation was significant at 10% and positively related to income of the farmers. Co-operative was significant at 5% and positively related to income of the farmers. Therefore government should encourage young people to go into farming with farming incentives and ensure that income will be evenly distributed among farmers in the study area to avoid income being concentrated in the hands of a few, probably non- farmers and farmers too. Government should stabilize farmers, income by reducing the in- balance between the demand for and supply of agricultural products in the market.