JAFE Vol. 5(4) 40-47

Determinants of Agricultural Productivity Among Smallholder Oil Palm and Food Crop Farmers in Edo State, Nigeria

Nwawe, C.N., Abu, R.A. and Oghogho, I.A.

ABSTRACT
The need to increase productivity especially in the face of constraints faced by farmers that practice sole cropping of oil palm led to the farming system that advocates different enterprises on a particular piece of land. This study was designed to provide information on the variables that play significant roles in determining the level of productivity among smallholder oil palm farmers in Edo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 90 respondents. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data and the result showed that the double log function was the lead equation having a coefficient of multiple determination of 88.5%, with the mean and standard deviation of 0.7046 and ± 0.03634 respectively. The result showed that maize output, maize output price and cassava output price as the variables that significantly determined the productivity among smallholder oil palm farmers involved in intercropping of their plantations with food crops. Smallholder oil palm farmers should be encouraged to intercrop their plantations in order to increase food production and enhance income generation before canopy closure. Also, policies that will ensure stable prices of these commodities should be put in place by the policy makers.  

Keywords:

Determinant, Productivity, Intercrop, Small holder, oil palm, food crops.

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