Assessment of gender involvement in rice processing under staple crop processing of Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program -1 (ATASP-1) in Kebbi State

Abstract

This study examined the gender involvement in rice processing activities in Kebbi State, Nigeria. A three stage sampling technique was employed to select (150) beneficiaries of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Pragram -1 (ATASP-1) in the Staple Crop Processing Zones of Kebbi-Sokoto, covering eight LGAs in the two states. Structured questionnaire and oral interview were used in the data collection. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (such as frequencies, percentages and ranking). The result of the socio-economic characteristics revealed that more than half (55.3%) of the processors had no western education, more than half (57.8%) of the beneficiaries were males, and 42.2% of them were females. Similarly, 48.1% of the beneficiaries were within the age bracket of 31-40 years of age and had been in rice processing for 10 –14 years (41.5%). Findings on awareness and ranking of rice processing technologies indicates rice de-stoned machines ranked 1^st, false bottom parboilers ranked 2^nd and rice husking machines and polishers were ranked 3^rd and 4^th respectively. The findings also indicates the major constraints faced by the processors included inadequate funds (48.7%), lack of processing skill centers (38.6%), and inadequate capacity building on processing (32.5%). ATASP-1 should initiate and sustain facilitation and linkages to credit sources so that men and women can access start–up capital.