THE REASONS FOR LOW PRODUCTION OF RUBBER IN EDO STATE A CASE STUDY OF OWAN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
ABSTRACT
This research study was undertaken with a view to assessing the veracity of low production of rubber in Owan West LGA, Edo State. Several factors were identified as causes of this trend; such as lack of capital, use of old plantations, unavailability of land, price of latex etc. a questionnaires approach was used to obtain data from the farmers in Owan West LGA of Edo State. This was subjected to analysis based on stipulated hypothesis drawn from the questionnaires. The result of this analysis showed that lack of capital was not responsible for low production of rubber in Owan West LGA. Also, market prices of rubber products had no effect on low rubber production. However, government policies were identified as a cause of low production of rubber in Owan West LGA. Therefore, the government should promulgate policies that will encourage rubber production in Owan West LGA and Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Rubber plant (Hevea Brasiliensis) was introduced from Brazil to Nigeria around 1895. It is a variety of plant of the genus Hevea (euphorbiaceae) family, native to Brazil. It commonly known as the rubber tree rubber is an important cash crop which contributed sustainably to the Nigerian economy prior to the oil boom. (Aghimien, 1997).
In recent years, there has been a drastic reduction in rubber production in Nigeria. A total of 207,500 which represented 86.0% of the country’s land area under rubber cultivation on small holdings in 1966, declined to 147,200 hectares in 1980. Recent field surveys showed that more than two thousand of the small holding has been lost to other crop.
Presently, rubber production in Nigeria has decreased and the rubber industries have continued to fold-up (Agra, 1986).
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Natural rubber performed three main functions in the Nigerian economy; firstly it provided some of the foreign exchange and placed Nigeria in the world map as an exporter of rubber products. Lastly it provided employment for a sizeable segment of the rural populace. The situation in Nigeria presently pretends a drift from beings a major exporter of rubber products into becoming a net importer in the nearest future. The important question or issue is what are the reasons for the observed down turn or reduction in productivity of rubber, especially I Owan West LGA of Edo State.
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