Economic Analysis of Rice Production in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed the economics of rice production in Bende Local Government area of Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study addressed the following objectives: examine the socio economic characteristics of rice farmers, identify source of input to farmers, estimate cost and return of rice production, estimate determinants of rice production and identify problems that militates against rice production in the study area. The study used primary data source for the analysis. A multistage sampling techniques was used to sample for respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, cost and return formulae and regression model. The result on socio-economics shows that the farmers were in their active stage with a mean age of 44 years, female farmers dominated rice farming, the farmers were literate with majority of the farmers attaining secondary education. On sources of input farmer association and personal sources were the major source of input for farmers in the study. On cost and return, the result shows that rice enterprise was viable. Among the factor that positively influenced rice production were farm size, chemical fertilizer, amount of credit and initial capital. Farmers identified pest and disease, and lack of access to credit as the major constrains to rice production in the study area. The study therefore recommends more farmers should join rice production since it is viable business and there is high demand for rice all over the country. More so, farmers should form cooperative society to increase their access to finances.