Problems And Prospects Of Maize Production

Problems And Prospects Of Maize Production

Abstract

This study was especially designed to find the problems and prospects of sludge product in Ikpoba- Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. In carrying out this study, the repliers were made up to growers. A total sample size of fifty repliers were canvassed with the aid of questionnaire, the findings were anatomized and bandied the result of the study revealed that the problems are shy land, low position of soil fertility shy finance,non-adoption of ultramodern husbandry ways, shy storehouse installations, poor marketing and pricing,. The prospect are the growers formerly use bettered kinds for planting and are accepting ideas from the extension agent, the eventuality for further prospect live when result are set up for the below problems. Due to the utility of sludge as one of the staple food and its artificial uses, it shouldn’t be allowed to remain at the present position of product. thus, trouble should be geared towards working the problems to make sludge product encouraging and intriguing to the growers.

Chapter One

Preface

Background To The Study

One of the major tasks facing Nigerian husbandry is the provision of an acceptable and well-stable food force to meet the conditions of a growing population. One of similar food crops is sludge. The significance of sludge to the ultramodern society is first and foremost easily reflected in the significance of the crop in the diet of man and creatures throughout the world( Onwueme and Sinha, 1991).

Abubakar( 1999), ranked sludge as the third most important cereal after wheat and rice encyclopedically. In Nigeria, sludge is produced across the country right from the mangrove region in the south to the Sahel Savannah in the North( Edache, 1999; Tauna, 1999; Olukosi and Raphael, 1997). sludge product in Nigeria has also been on the increase both in terms of hectarage and product. Aseven-fold increase in product passed between 1984 and 1994. also product increased from to tonnes(7.75) between 1999 and 2003 independently( CBN Annual Report 2003). In recent times still, product of sludge in Nigeria has been declining due to low input operation. For illustration, in 2000 product was 6491MT as compared to 6515MT in 1999. Rapid population growth and increased pressure on land have led to a reduction in free ages to below the threshold demanded for sustainability( FAO, 1985; Conways, 1997). To compound the situation, essential inputs similar as toxin, dressings and fungicides were frequently scarce and expensive at a time when profitable reforms have impelled reductions in ranch inputs subventions.

sludge is a heavy confluent that requires sustainable quantum of nutrients uptake. In the Savannah region, the enormous capabilities for sludge product can be realised only with the use of high situations of toxin, bettered seeds, hectarage expansion and acceptable weed control. With acceptable force of these inputs and the provision of acceptable storehouse installations, the rapid-fire expansion of sludge could be sustained. Since the 1970s, the civil government made it a policy to increase the agrarian product through the increased use of toxin. This led to the decision by the Federal Government to establish original toxin shops as against counting entirely on toxin importation as the case was previous to 1976. The effectiveness and sustainability of these plans varies with government. For sludge growers, access to toxin is an important input considered in the product decision. This have direct effect on the position of productivity, therefore increased productivity contributed to profitable development and programs for effective rallying of the coffers for transubstantiating tone- sufficient acquainted sludge growers to marketable and request acquainted husbandry( Nyako, 1999).

The total area under sludge cropping in Nigeria was estimated to be3.0 million hectare( Lamarde, 1994). Traditionally, product ranged from0.4 –1.7 tonnes per hectare, but with bettered styles and bettered inputs, the yield could be over to 4 – 5 tonnes per hectare( Lamarde, 1994). sludge is the most important cereal in Nigeria and is grown either as a vegetable at the vicinity or on the ranch( Kehinde, 1997). Throughout Nigeria, the selling of roasted and boiled sludge is a thriving business that provides employment for hundreds of thousand of youthful girls and women. Though 3 the nature of employment is part time and seasonal, it nevertheless provides an important source of livelihood for the peddlers . sludge is also extensively reused into a variety of food drinks similar as pap and “ Kunu ”. In addition, sludge is used in making galettes similar as ‘ masa ’. still, the predominant use of sludge in Northern Nigeria is for making ‘ tuwo ’. It’s also the main source of energy in beast and flesh feeds. The growing factory can be cut and made into silage or hay for the feeding of cattle and other ruminants. therefore, sludge product gives employment to people and provides food and drinks for man and feeds for flesh and beast.

Statement Of The Problem

The time 2000 was set as a target date for the attainment of food tone adequacy by all African countries in the action plan agreed upon in Lagos, Nigeria( Salih, 1994). still, roughly 5 times after the deadline, little or nothing had been achieved. This failure is apparent by the redundant capacity in the agro artificial sector; rapid-fire increase in food prices and the gradational resort to food importation among others. Rapid growth in husbandry is essential for broad grounded profitable growth, but acceleration in agrarian growth requires sound use of wisdom and technology embodied in bettered seed, toxin, agrochemical and other agronomic practices. still without an effective and cost effective force of these inputs at the ranch gate, wisdom grounded growth in agrarian productivity can not be achieved. likewise, with the phased pullout of subventions and privatisation, the input requests remained underdeveloped and fractured and growers don’t admit good quality inputs and pay unreasonable high prices despite the fact that the private sector in Nigeria has a implicit to supply agrarian inputs in a cost effective manner( IFDC, 2001). One of the problems cited as constraining the product of sludge in Nigeria is stagnant product technology among Nigerian husbandry community, maturity of who are small- scale directors. The reason for this could be attributed to resource productivity as studies have verified inefficiency in resource utilisation in both food and cash crops in Nigeria( Olagoke, 1999 and Olayide, 1979). likewise, the extent to which inputs force and productivity relates to a space in food demand and force in Nigeria isn’t easily understood. At the same time, the impact of factors similar as the policy terrain, and the vacuity of requests for the disposal of ranch labors isn’t frequently considered despite the fact that similar factors make growers to work harder and therefore, produce advanced labors. This study attempts to assay the productivity of agrarian inputs in food crop product by taking the sludge crop as a case study.

Exploration Questions

1. What are the socio profitable characteristics of sludge growers in Kaduna State? 2. What are the inputs – labors situations in sludge product?

2. What are the costs and returns in sludge product?

3. To what extent do the prices of Agricultural inputs affect sludge affair?

Ideal Of The Study

The general ideal of this study was to assess the goods of inputs as well as the impact of input prices on sludge product in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The specific objects were to-

1. Describe the socio- profitable characteristics of sludge growers in Kaduna state.

2. Estimate the inputs- affair situations in sludge product in Kaduna state.

3. Determine the costs and returns and hence profitability of sludge product in Kaduna State.

4. Determine the goods of input prices on sludge product in Kaduna state.

Significance Of The Study

Policy makers have been making frantic sweats to attract people into husbandry. This study is anticipated to give precious standard information to these new entrants on resource productivity and profitability in sludge product so as to enable them consider its product as a feasible option. As for growers who are formerly cultivating the crop, the study will go a long way in furnishing information on ways of boosting product. In order to increase the product of sludge, sound micro and macroeconomic ranch programs are demanded. These bear previous to their expression, an understanding of the input prices and affair relationship in sludge product. This will obviously go a long way in generating employment openings for thousands of Nigerians, ameliorate the food security status of Nigerians and most importantly, ameliorate import and induce fresh foreign exchange for the country.

Compass Of The Study

The compass of study is limited to Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area in Edo State and the product of sludge.