Gender Roles And Technology Adoption In Rubber Production In Edo State
Chapiter 1
1.0 Introduction
1.2.1 Background Data
Early men developed agriculture when they realized that alive animals captured in traps and preserved for later consumption might give birth to young ones. They also noticed that the seeds they had scattered throughout the area had grown from the wild fruits they had traveled a distance to obtain and consume. Agriculture—the practice of raising animals and growing crops—began in this way. Each country in the globe values agriculture greatly. For instance, in Nigeria, almost 70% of people work in agriculture or a field closely related to it. Despite this, Nigeria’s population continues to lack access to meals that are high in protein, which causes malnutrition, especially in children.
In Nigeria’s rural areas, agriculture predominates (Onyeabor and Alimba, 2006). Approximately 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 71 percent of the Nigerian population are employed directly or indirectly, according to the National Institute for Socio-Economic Survey (NISER, 2003). Nigeria’s need to change its highly productive, conventional input-based agriculture system is one of the country’s most pressing issues right now. This will help her fulfill the increasing demands of both her rural and urban communities. It is crucial to take into consideration the fact that both men and women contribute significantly to agricultural productivity.
Around 1895, natural rubber (Heavea brasiliensis), which is typically indigenous to the Amazonian jungle of South America, was brought to Nigeria by England. The first rubber estate was founded in Sapele, in what is now Delta State, in 1903. (2004) Giroh et al. In Southern Nigeria, there were already hundreds of hectares of rubber estates that were largely held by Europeans by 1925.
It is important to highlight that Nigeria has a very large potential for the production of rubber, particularly in several of the southern states where the vegetation and climate are ideal for its production. Rubber can be grown widely in the states of Edo, Delta, Ogun, Ondo, Abia, Anambra, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Ebonyi, and Rivers where the annual rainfall is between 1800mm and 2000mm per year, according to Aigbokaen et al., (2000), Abolagba, and Giroh (2006). In the small communities of Iguorhiaki, Ehor, and Irrua in the Esan Central Local Government Area, rubber is extensively grown.
When the trees are 6-7 years old, considered mature, and have a girth circumference of 45 cm at a height of 150 cm from the ground, harvesting is carried out. The current state of affairs in Nigeria suggests that it would soon stop being a significant exporter of rubber goods and start becoming a net importer.
In terms of producing raw materials for agro-based businesses, earning foreign cash, and creating jobs, rubber serves essentially three tasks in the Nigerian economy. It should be mentioned that rubber has an almost infinite number of uses, which is relevant to the availability of raw materials. Rubber latex is a crucial component of the automotive industry because it is used to make tires, car bumpers, transmission belts, car mats, seats, and other products. In addition to these items, latex is also used to make condoms, household and workplace gloves, balloons, and erasers (Abolagba et al., 2003).
In addition, processing rubber seeds yields oil alkyd resins used in paints, soap, skin cream, and hair wash. The rubber seed cake that remains after the oil has been removed from the seed is useful for blending animal diets (Fasina, 1998).
Technology adoption is a process that starts with knowledge of the technology, moves through a number of steps, and culminates in suitable and efficient use. technologies users range from early adopters who will master even the most difficult technologies to persons who will never embrace in terms of attitudes toward technology and skills. Adoption of new technologies is crucial because it provides the majority of people with a means of participation in a world where technology has taken center stage in our daily lives and is undergoing rapid change. Men, women, and children all participate in the many tasks necessary to produce rubber.
According to Deji (2011), gender refers to the socially prescribed roles and actions that are specific to men and women. Men and women play different roles in the farming system in the majority of countries. Although there are many cultural variations in gender inequalities in rural farming communities, some characteristics are universal. Due to their domestic and reproductive responsibilities, women frequently focus their agricultural endeavors on the farm. They are essential to the creation of food. Akinsanya (2002) proposed that some activities are viewed as masculine or female depending on whether they involve post-harvest chores or livestock care. There may be a strict division of work between men and women in some contexts. In one area, the division of labor and specialization of jobs are less rigid and less skewed, while household members have independent sources of income and expenditure (Solomon 1995).
In the past, there was a significant difference in the roles and duties that men and women held in the society. Except for child bearing, Ekong (2003) came to the conclusion that no duties were gender specific. In Nigeria in the 1950s, colonial influence had a part in the initial underrepresentation of women in agriculture. In those days, males were reported to be primarily involved in the production of cash crops that were sent to their countries as industrial inputs. Olagogun (2001) made the argument that because men choose the land first, they choose the most productive portion, leaving women with property that is either overused or prone to erosion or degradation. As a result, women always suffer from unproductive land. Women are also prevented from growing long-term crops including fruits, trees, oil palms, cocoa, coffee, rubber, and other lucrative crops due to this method of temporary land acquisition.
According to the aforementioned circumstances, it is anticipated that men and women will participate in soil management methods differently. According to Decjene (2003), however, many Nigerian women are now becoming more involved in soil management because both male and female farmers want to increase their production, and one of the best ways to do this is to manage soil effectively by using both traditional practices like bush fallowing, mulching, terracing, adding manure, crop rotation, etc. and improved practices like fertilizer application. Studies have also shown that s In order to increase food production in the study area, it is therefore important to evaluate the responsibilities of arable crop producers in soil management methods across gender.
When it comes to processing and marketing agricultural products, women have been shown to have a significant impact (Dossc Sofa Team, 2007). Although it is challenging to determine who ultimately decides when to harvest rubber, responses to previous surveys suggest that women play a role in the decision. They are more aware of the need for household food and are more knowledgeable about market prices than males (Mayoux, 2011). Small-scale farmers must adopt better production techniques, plant types, and techniques for product storage, processing, and use.
According to Abolagba and Giroh (2006), it is sad that despite the tremendous potential resources that can be gained through rubber production, the crop has been neglected over time.
1.2 Description of the Issue
In our rural areas, a large number of small-scale farmers, most of whom are women, predominately use traditional agricultural techniques to produce rubber. Women are noted to contribute to the productive work on farms, according to (Tanko 1993-95).
According to Tanko (1993–1955), out of the 95% of small-scale farmers in Nigeria who are responsible for providing the country with food, 55% are women. These women continue to rely primarily on traditional planting techniques that produce low yields and are highly susceptible, such as vulcanization, which releases thousands of toxins into the air. A fire trace, a width of at least 30 meters, the manual, chemical, or mechanical management of weeds, the development and maintenance of ground cover, mulching, irrigation of water, pruning, routine insect and disease treatment, and fertilizer application. To change this, a number of organizations, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN), have created and disseminated improved methods for collecting latex, processing rubber, storing rubber and its products, and tapping rubber.
Despite all of this, the yield of rubber is still modest and limited. Due to their ignorance of these new technologies, the availability of production inputs, the ownership of land, and demand, both men and women farmers continue to produce at the same level. On the basis of this backdrop, the next inquiries will be answered. These are the inquiries:
What social and economic traits distinguish male and female rubber farmers?
What tasks are carried out in the manufacture of rubber?
What jobs do men and women have in the production of rubber?
What percentage of rubber technology have been adopted?
What are the restrictions on the manufacture of rubber?
1.3 Study’s objectives
Examining gender roles and the application of technology in the production of rubber in Nigeria’s Edo State is the main goal. The ensuing particular goals will help achieve this.
to list the socioeconomic traits of the study area’s rubber farmers broken down by gender.
To list the tasks involved in the manufacture of rubber
to investigate how gender plays a role in making rubber.
to determine the sources of data on rubber production
Analyze the gender differences in technology adoption in the rubber industry.
to determine the barriers that both men and women in the rubber industry encounter.
1.4 Study’s Hypotheses
Ho: There is no correlation between gender participation in the manufacturing of rubber and socioeconomic factors.
Ho2: The adoption of rubber technology is not significantly correlated with socioeconomic factors.
Ho3: The participation of men and women in the manufacturing of rubber is not significantly different.
1.5 Justification
On the overall contribution of gender performance in Nigerian agriculture, numerous research have been conducted. However, there hasn’t been much research done to determine how gender influences rubber production in Edo state.
Therefore, by investigating how men and women contribute to the production of rubber in the research area, this paper offers insight into this topic. For instance, there are already open marketplaces for male and female farmers engaged in latex processing. It is intended that the outcome of this effort will be established locally in the research region for future assessment and evaluation.
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