PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN IKPOBA OKHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN IKPOBA OKHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

ABSTRACT

This study was specially designed to find the problems and prospects of maize production in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. In carrying out this study, the respondents were made up to farmers. A total sample size of fifty respondents were interviewed with the aid of questionnaire, the findings were analyzed and discussed the result of the study revealed that the problems are inadequate land, low level of soil fertility inadequate finance, non-adoption of modern farming techniques, inadequate storage facilities, poor marketing and pricing,. The prospect are the farmers already use improved varieties for planting and are accepting ideas from the extension agent, the potential for more prospect exist when solution are found for the above problems. Due to the usefulness of maize as one of the staple food and its industrial uses, it should not be allowed to remain at the present level of production. Therefore, effort should be geared towards solving the problems to make maize production encouraging and interesting to the farmers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

One of the major tasks facing Nigerian agriculture is the provision of an adequate and well-stable food supply to meet the requirements of a growing population. One of such food crops is maize. The significance of maize to the modern society is first and foremost clearly reflected in the importance of the crop in the diet of man and animals throughout the world (Onwueme and Sinha, 1991).

Abubakar (1999), ranked maize as the third most important cereal after wheat and rice globally. In Nigeria, maize is produced across the country right from the mangrove region in the south to the Sahel Savannah in the North (Edache, 1999; Tauna, 1999; Olukosi and Raphael, 1997). Maize production in Nigeria has also been on the increase both in terms of hectarage and production. A seven-fold increase in production occurred between 1984 and 1994. Similarly production increased from 6,515,000.0 to 7,019,500.0 tonnes (7.75%) between 1999 and 2003 respectively (CBN Annual Report 2003). In recent years however, production of maize in Nigeria has been declining due to low input usage. For example, in 2000 production was 6491MT as compared to 6515MT in 1999. Rapid population growth and increased pressure on land have led to a reduction in fallow periods to below the threshold needed for sustainability (FAO, 1985; Conways, 1997).

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PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN IKPOBA OKHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE