An Analysis of Appropriateness of Improved Rice Technology for Women Farmers in Selected States of South Western Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out in selected states of South Western Nigeria in order to investigate the appropriateness of improved rice technology for women farmers. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 320 women farmers from the study area. Data collection was carried out using structured interview schedule. Frequencies, percentages and means were used to describe the data, while analysis of variance Pearson correlation and regression analysis were employed in order to make inferences from the data. The study revealed that majority (54.1 %) of the respondents were below 40 years of age, married (73.1%) and had less than 6 years of formal schooling (61.3%). The major income activities of the women were farming (crops and livestock). The women farmers were small holders as about 74.0% of them cultivated less than one hectare of land with rice. The predominant rice varieties in the study area were upland rice (ITA 128 and ITA 150). The analysis shows that significant relationship exists, though negative, between the women farmers' ages, income generating activities and levels of appropriateness of improved rice technology to them. It is therefore recommended among others that women should be involved in the development process of improved rice production technology to ensure appropriateness of the technology and its adoption.