Analysis of Adoption of Recommended Cotton Production Practices by Farmers in Some Selected LGAs of Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study determined the adoption of recommended cotton production practices in Zamfara State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in this study. Questionnaire instrument was used to elicit information from 146 cotton farmers. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Results showed that 45% of the respondents were between the ages of 41 and 50, and majority of the respondents had been in cotton farming for 6–10 years. The result further showed that the mean credit need of the respondents was ?69, 208 while the respondents had received only a mean credit of ?18,451. Result also revealed that the use of good seed bed preparation had the highest (36%) rate of adoption, followed by the use of appropriate recommended spacing (31%), seed treatment (28 %), harvesting (27%), and thinning (25%). The results of multiple regression revealed that labour, educational level, farming experience, extension contact, membership of social organization and affordability were significant at 5% level of probability. It was discovered from this study that inadequate and high cost of labour, insufficient fund, storage and marketing problem, recommended planting time were the major constraints faced by the cotton farmers. Based on the findings, it was recommended that adult education and pre-season training should be organized for cotton farmers, farmers should form various co-operative groups for land, input, credit, labour and marketing of cotton.