TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title
page……………………………………………………………………………… i
Approval
page………………………………………………………………………… ii
Certification……………………………………………………………………………
iii
Dedication………………………………………………………………………………
iv
Acknowledgements………………………………….………………………………….
v
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………
vi
List of
Tables…..………………………………………………………………………. viii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………
ix
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………… 1
1.1 Background
Information ……………………………………………………… 1
1.2 Problem Statement
……………………………………………………………… 3
1.3 Objectives of the
Study ………………………………………………………… 4
1.4 Hypotheses of the
Study ………………………………………………………. 5
1.5 Justification of
the Study ……………………………………………….……… 5
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………….. 6
2.1 Utilization of
Cocoyam ………………………………………………………… 6
2.2 Potentials of
Cocoyam …………………………………………………………. 7
2.2.1 Nutritive
Values of Cocoyam……………………………………… 7
2.2.2 Economic Values
of Cocoyam…………………………..……….. 8
2.2.3 Agronomic
Values of Cocoyam…………………………..………… 9
2.3 Gender Issues in
Agriculture …………………………………..…… 9
2.4 Gender and Farm
Input Delivery System, Supply and Productivity……. 12
2.5 Cost and Returns
………………………………………………………………. 13
2.6 Resource Problems
and Resource Allocation of Rural Economies……………. 14
2.6.1 Resource
Problems ………………………………………….……. 14
2.6.2 Rural Resource
Allocation ………………………………….……… 15
2.7 Evidence of
Resource Productivity and Efficiency Studies ………… 17
2.8 Theoretical
Framework …………………………………………………..…… 19
2.9 Analytical
Framework ……………………………………………….………… 23
CHAPTER THREE:
METHODOLOGY ………………………………………… 25
3.1 Study Area
………………………………………………………………………… 25
3.2 Sampling
Procedure ……………………………………………………………… 26
3.3 Data Collection.
………………………………………………………… 26
3.4 Data Analysis
…………………………………………………………………….. 27
3.5 Hypotheses
Testing …………………………………………..………… 30
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT
AND DISCUSSION ……………………………… 31
4.1 Socio-Economic
Characteristics of the Respondents ……….…………… 31
4.2 Comparison of
Mean Output of Male and Female Cocoyam Farmers……………. 35
4.3 Estimation of
Technical and Allocative Efficiency in Cocoyam Production……….. 36
4.4 Comparison of
Technical and Return to Scale of the Male and Female Farmers……………………………………………
43
4.5 Cost and Returns
of Male and Female Cocoyam Farmers …..… 44
4.6 Problems
Encountered by Cocoyam Farmers Based on Gender ……. 46
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION& CONCLUSSION … 48
5.1 Summary
…………………………………………………………….………….… 48
5.2 Conclusion
………………………………………………………………….…….. 49
5.3 Recommendation
………………………………………………….……. 49
REFERENCE
……………………………………………………………….… 51
Appendix 1: Estimated
outputs of major agric commodities (000 tons)…61
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Selection
of Cocoyam Farmers in the Study Areas ………….. 26
Table 4.1: Distribution
of Male and Female Cocoyam Farmers According to Socio-economic Characteristics
…………. 34
Table 4.2: Two sample
T-test of cocoyam output by gender ………… 35
Table 4.3: Maximum
Likelihood Estimates of the Cobb-Douglas Stochastic Production function for male
and female farmers in Anambra State. … 37
Table 4.4: Results of
Multiple Regression Analysis of Male Cocoyam Farmers …………………………………….. 40
Table 4.5: Results of
Multiple Regression Analysis of Female Cocoyam farmers …………………………………….. 40
Table 4.6: Estimation
of Allocative Efficiency for Male Cocoyam Farmers ……… 41
Table 4.7: Estimation
of Allocative Efficiency for Female Cocoyam Farmers……………………….. 42
Table 4.8:
Elasticities of Production for Male and Female Cocoyam Farmers ……………………………… 44
Table 4.9: Costs and
Returns of Male and Female Cocoyam Farmers 45
Table 4.10:
Distribution of male and female respondents according to constraints in cocoyam
production …………… 47
ABSTRACT
The study was carried
out to investigate the gender and resource use efficiency in cocoyam production
in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study presents the results of analysis of data
collected on 160 male and female cocoyam farmers across two Agricultural zones
in the state. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select the
zones. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, means and
tables were used in analyzing farmer’s socio-economic characteristics and
production problems. The result showed that women constituted a greater
percentage (68.75%) of those involved in cocoyam production in the state with
age range of 41 to 50 years. The Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) technique
was used in estimating the technical efficiency and determinants of efficiency
of male and female farmers with the Cobb-Douglas production function as the
lead model. The result of estimation of technical efficiency using the Cobb-
Douglas stochastic function showed that the coefficients of male and female
farmers for the production variables used were all positive. Cocoyam setts,
labour and fertilizer use were significant while capital inputs were not
significant for female cocoyam farmers. The result indicated that
socio-economic conditions influenced technical efficiency of both categories of
farmers. The coefficients of determinants of efficiency used were all positive
except farm size that was negative and significant for both male and female
cocoyam farmers while age, level of education, extension contact, knowledge
index were all positive and significant for male farmers while other variables
were not significant. Test of allocative efficiency revealed that none of
defined farmer groups achieved absolute allocative efficiency. Male farmers
underutilized fertilizer and over utilized other inputs in production while female
farmers over utilized all the inputs. This result suggests that there exists
the possibility of increasing output under existing level of technology through
the use of lower levels of all inputs by male and female farmers except
fertilizer for males. There is also scope to use higher levels of fertilizer
for the male farmers. The result shows the mean output/kg of 2,450.20kg and
2,519.09kg with an average net profit of N62, 592.87 and N88, 378.12 and BCR of
N1.85 and N2.16 for the male and female farmers respectively. This implies that
cocoyam production was profitable in the study area. The results also showed
that the elasticities of productions of male farmers is 0.43246 and that of
female farmers is 1.1987. This shows a decreasing return to scale for male
cocoyam farmers and increasing return for female cocoyam farmers. Finally, the
study revealed that most of the farmers (male and female) encountered problems
of root rot diseases at 90% and 90.91% respectively.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In Nigeria of about
140 million people, men constitute about 50.4% and women 49.6%(N.P.C,
2006).Both gender are responsible for producing the nation’s food and one of
the major problems confronting mankind in recent times is food crisis (Ndukwu
et al 2010).Gender has often been misunderstood as being about the promotion of
women only, but it focuses on the relationship between men and women, their
roles, access to and control over resources, division of labour and needs. Men
and women are affected differently in their operation in factors like markets
and socio-economics environments. Women are more constrained than their men
counterparts in terms of access to credits, agricultural inputs, information
technology and so on. Some crop production are even classified as men’s, like
yam production, while others like sweet potatoes and cocoyam production are
regarded as women’s especially in the southeastern Nigeria(Ndukwu et al
2010).Dimelu et al (2009) reported that women are involved in crop production
generally and cocoyam production in particular.
Agriculture is the
largest sector in the Nigeria economy, providing food, income and employment
for sustainable livelihood of both the rural and urban population (CBN,2003).
FGN(2001), Agriculture is the largest non oil export earner and largest
employer of labour accounting for 88% of the non oil foreign exchange earnings
and 70% of the active labour force of the population. Food crops constitute the
largest component of the crops sub sector of Nigeria’s agriculture(CBN
2003).Roots tubers are major sources of dietary carbohydrates and provide food
for over 60 million people in Nigeria(Abubakar,2003).Increase in the output of
cassava, yam, potatoes as well as cocoyam will significantly increase the GDP of
Nigeria(Anyanwu et al 2010). The contribution of the food crop sector of
Nigerian Agriculture is significant and well documented in literature (Olomola,
2006).
Cocoyam originates
from Asia and about forty (40) species are grown in West Africa (Asumugha and
Mbanasor, 2002). Cocoyam, both Xanthosoma species and Colocasia species belongs
to the family (Aracea). The cocoyam specie colocasia esculata in subSahara
Africa was introduced to this continent one thousand or more years ago from
South East Asia while cocoyam specie Xanthosoma Mafafa was introduced more
recently from tropical America (11TA 1992, FAO, 2005).
Nigeria is the
largest producer of cocoyam in the world, accounting for about 47% of the total
world output (FAO, 2007, NRCRI, 2009). From 0.73 million metric tones in 1990,
cocoyam production in Nigeria rose to 3.89million metric tones in 2000 (Ojiako
et al, 2007) and further by 30.30% to 5.068 million metric tones in 2007 (FAO,
2007). Further estimate in Nigeria, showed a figure of 5.387 million metric
tones out of 11.77 million metric tones of world output of cocoyam per annum
since 2008 (FAO , 2010).
Cocoyam ranks third
in importance after cassava and yam among the root and tuber crops cultivated
in Nigeria (see Appendix 1)(FAO, 2005, National Bureau of Statistics, 2006,
Okoye et al, 2008). Cocoyam is an important staple food in the plant family,
cultivated in South Eastern and South Western part of Nigeria (Onyenweaku et
al, 2005, Ojiakor et al, 2007, Chukwu et al, 2009). It is a food security crop
variously grown by resource poor farmers especially women who often intercrop
it with yam, maize, plantain, banana, vegetable (Ikwelle et al, 2003).
Cocoyam to an extent
is medicinal for diabetic patients because it has low starch content, is easily
digestible and contains protein more than the other root tubers. The leaves of
colocosia esculenta have been shown to be a rich source of folic acid, ribo
flavin, vitamin A and C, calcium and phosphate (Arene and Ene, 1987). The
leaves are consumed because they are rich in protein and vitamins, while the
root is rich in carbohydrates and minerals (Duru and Uma, 2002). Cocoyam is a
useful cover crop and the corms are ready to harvest in 8 – 12 months (Uguru,
1996). The corms and cormels are boiled, baked and tubers are sometimes ground
to produce paste for use in stews and soups. Also in Southeast Asia, cocoyam
leaves are consumed as a green or dry vegetables and the stem is either cooked
or eaten on its own or together with other dietary staples or pounded into flour
(Serem et al, 2008).The dried peeled corms are grinded to produce flour which
is considered to be as palatable as cassava flour but more nutritious (Igbokwe,
2004).
In the traditional
farming system women “own” and plant cocoyam after the men have planted their
yam, hence it is regarded as a women’s crop (Igbokwe, 2004). As a result of
male migration into urban and semi urban areas, certain task that were
traditionally done by men (e.g. ridging) are now being done by the women folk.
Thus, the gender based differentiation of farm tasks appears to be
disappearing. Some scholars believe and argue that majority of the small scale
farmers who produce the bulk of Nigeria’s agricultural output especially
cocoyam are women. It is still their contention that women also play key roles
in storage, processing, utilization and local marketing of agricultural produce
(Dixon, 1983, Ekumankama and Ekumankama, 1996). Females constitute the greater
percentage of the Nigerian population in the rural areas (Musa 1987, Fed. Rep.
of Nig 1997, 2006).
Given the importance
of cocoyam and the fact that its cultivation is receeding, it becomes
compelling to examine the production methods, practices and resource inputs for
its production in other to identify opportunities for improvements in terms of
cultivation and efficient use of available resources.
Government research
effort under cocoyam expansion programme had led to the development of several
technologies aimed at adding value to cocoyam production (NRCRI, 1999). Also,
dissemination of the improved technologies as well as advocacy supports for
overall development of cocoyam are effective strategies for optimizing
utilization of the abundant potentials associated with cocoyam in Nigeria.