Evidence of Gender Role in Soybean Production: Case Study from Agrarian Communities in Benue state, Nigeria

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate role of gender in soybean production activities in Benue State, Nigeria. Two (2) Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected from each of the Eastern and Northern Agricultural Zones of the State. Two (2) rural communities were selected from each LGA and finally ten (10) farmers were selected from each community to make a total of eighty (80) farmers that were interviewed. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and mean. Findings revealed that 67.5% of the respondents were between 30 and 49 years old and 70% had family size of between 5 and 7 members. Majority had formal education, but was relatively new in soybean production. Women are mostly involved in the tedious farm activities in soybean production such as bush/land clearing, stumping, and tilling. The production needs of men and women were the same in areas like credit/loan facility, supply of improved variety, subsidized farm inputs, availability of land, and pest and disease control. The results of this study provide a strong advocacy for more extension services to be directed towards women farmers so as to encourage their participation in agricultural development programmes in Nigeria.

Key words: Gender Role; Soybean Production; Agrarian Communities; Benue State; Nigeria