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Mar 30, 2024Keywords:
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Sustainability of Rice Enterprise and Its Determinants in South East Nigeria
Abstract
Global rice production needs to double by 2050 to meet the projected demand at current market prices, this will put significant pressure on natural resources and the environment through sustainable development. Thus sustainability has grown in recognition and importance because the farms are trying to balance their performance among economic, environmental and social domains. This study therefore analyzed the sustainability of rice enterprise and its determinants in South East Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting two hundred and eighty (240) rice farmers in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as sustainability Index (SI) and Tobit regression. The result showed that the average sustainable index was 0.751, with about 23.75% of total respondents having a sustainability index of less than 0.65 units (poor sustainability level), and 10.8% had a sustainability index between 0.65 and 0.74 (deficient sustainability level). About 28.7% had a sustainability index between 0.75 and 0.84 (adjusted regularly to the sustainability goals). About 19.2% had a sustainability index between 0.85 – 0.94 (Well sustainability level). While 17.5% had a sustainability index between 0.95 – 1.00 (Very well sustainability level). Determinants of sustainability were labour used (p<0.01), government support for rice production (p<0.05), use of high-yielding rice varieties (p<0.05), farming experience (p<0.01), fertilizer used (p<0.01), credit use (p<0.1) and management practice (p<0.05). The study therefore concluded that the rice farmers had a moderate sustainability level, which is regularly to the sustainability goals and has significant improvement potential. The study therefore recommends that government policies and interventions should focus on the development and rehabilitation of more land and the application of appropriate rice production technologies such as the use of improved high-yielding varieties, fertiliser and herbicides. Also, the Government should formulate and implement numerous field projects to improve rice-based production under regular and special programmes; for example, projects on rice extension, pre-processing, village storage and rice, processing; and a specialized effort to encourage, specialized field projects aimed at assessment of rice, at various stages of harvest and post-harvest operations in South East, Nigeria.
