EFFECT OF RECOMMENDED PRODUCTIVITY-ENHANCING TECHNOLOGIES ON THE YIELD OF SELECTED CROPS OF FARMERS IN CROSS RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study determined the effect of recommended productivity-enhancing technologies of the Commercial Agriculture Development Project on the yield of selected crops of participant farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study used 360 farmers. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, such as frequency count, percentage, and mean. The findings of the result on socio-economic characteristics analysis revealed that 74.2% of the beneficiaries were males, with a mean age of 48 years, 44.4% attended secondary school, while 38.1% completed tertiary education. The mean household size was seven (7) persons with an average farm size of 7.52 hectares. The beneficiaries had a mean farming experience of 20.76 years. Results showed that after the project, farmers increased farm yields with mean yields of 580.38kg for cocoa, 32,495.08kg for palm oil, and 2,125.36kg for rice. The test of hypothesis indicated a significant positive relationship between adoption and yield. The study concluded that the rate of adoption of the recommended productivity-enhancing technologies of the CADP project significantly improved the agricultural productivity of participant farmers. The study recommended that the project be replicated in other states. Additionally, farmers are encouraged to join cooperatives to gain full access to agricultural productivity-enhancing technologies for a sustainable increase in farm yield.