RESOURCE USE ACCESSIBILITY ON WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN RICE FARMING AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA.
Keywords:
Resource, accessibility, participation, women, household rice productionAbstract
This study examined resource use accessibility on women participation in rice farming among rural households in Anambra State, Nigeria with focus on three specific objectives which were to: describe the socioeconomic characteristics of women rice farmers, identify the rice production activities of the women rice farmers and their extent of participation, ascertain women farmers’ level of access to resources needed in Anambra State. Hypothetically, the study tested their socioeconomic characteristics influence on their level of resource needs. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire from a cross section of 347 women rice farmers using a multi- stage, purposive, and simple random technique. Data were analyzed with a combination of descriptive statistics, mean threshold from 5 Points Likert Scale, and inferential statistics ofone way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Result of the study showed that average age of the women was 42 years with majority (62.2%) of them married. The average year of formal education was 12 and 15 years of farming experience. Also, the average household size (6), farm size (1.3 ha), monthly income (#33,416.43) and number of extension contact per women rice farmer (1.39) were also revealed. Access to resources needed was found to affect women’s participation by 18.0% that was significant at 15.00*** F-statistics value, indicating that the model is fit and normally distributed to affect women’s participation in rice production. It is recommended that government should among other things provide necessary resources such as machineries, storage facilities, credit, etc. that could be of importance to women participation in rice farming at the rural household level in Anambra state, Nigeria.