Determinants of Decision for Non-Farm Entrepreneurship By Women Farmers In Ikwuano LGA, Abia State

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed numerous Government efforts to boost agricultural production in Nigeria. A key input to achieve this is credit. In the face of formal credit acquisition bottlenecks, there is the need to shift attention to non-farm entrepreneurship, as income made in this sector could be invested in agriculture. This study therefore evaluated determinants of decision for non-farm entrepreneurship by women farmers in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. The specific objectives of the study were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of women farmers engaged in non-farm enterprise in the study area; determine factors that influence women decision to embark on non-farm enterprise in the study area; and identify problems constraining women from embarking on non-farm enterprise in the study area. A hree stage random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 120 respondents for the study. Analytical tools utilized, were frequency distribution tables, percentages, means and probit regression model. The probit regression analysis revealed that age, household size, primary occupation, farm income, access to credit, farming experience and membership of cooperative societies were significant determinants of women farmers decision to embark on non-farm enterprise at varied signs and levels of significance. The women were constrained from embarking on non-farm business by lack of startup capital (43.33%), inadequate credit access (35.00), and land procurement barriers (31.67). In line with the findings of the study, it was recommended that the Land Use Act of 1978 should be fully implemented as it will ameliorate the persistent land procurement problem faced by women farmers in Nigeria.

Key Words: Decision Determinant, Non-farm Entrepreneurship, Income Generation.