Analysis of Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Profit Efficiency of Maize Farmers in Oyo and Ogun States, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluates the adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP) and its effect on the profit efficiency of maize farmers in Oyo and Ogun State of Nigeria. The use of a multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 174 and 196 maize farmers from Oyo and Ogun State respectively. Primary data were obtained through questionnaire administration. Analysis of data was done with descriptive statistics, Multivariate Probit Model and stochastic profit frontier model. The result of the study indicated that farmers’ mean age was 40 years, and were operating on a small scale of 5.1 hectares on average. Sustainable practices were adopted by less than half of the farmers. However, improved seed utilization was adopted by more than two third of the farmers. Age, educational level, size of household, extension contact, association membership, and farm size were the determining variables influencing sustainable practices adoption. Multivariate probit results indicated that significant correlations exist between adoption options. Rent on land (β = 0.9919, p<0.01), price of seed (β = -0.5583, p<0.10), price of labour (β = 1.1910, p<0.01), and price of herbicide (β = 0.1639, p<0.01) were the significant variables in the profit efficiency model. SAP factors affecting profit efficiency were the use of organic manure, cover cropping, and zero tillage. This study proved that policy strategies geared towards farmers’ adoption of sustainable agricultural practices should consider farmers’ specific socioeconomic factors and emphasize the complementarities and substitutability between different SAPs to broaden farmers’ options.