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Problems And Prospects Of Maize Production
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
One of
the major tasks facing Nigerian agriculture is the provision of an
adequate and well-stable food supply to meet the requirements of a
growing population. One of such food crops is maize. The significance of
maize to the modern society is first and foremost clearly reflected in
the importance of the crop in the diet of man and animals throughout the
world (Onwueme and Sinha, 1991).
Abubakar (1999), ranked maize as
the third most important cereal after wheat and rice globally. In
Nigeria, maize 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). Maize production in Nigeria has
also been on the increase both in terms of hectarage and production. A
seven-fold increase in production occurred between 1984 and 1994.
Similarly production increased from 6,515,000.0 to 7,019,500.0 tonnes
(7.75%) between 1999 and 2003 respectively (CBN Annual Report 2003). In
recent years however, production of maize in Nigeria has been declining
due to low input usage. For example, in 2000 production was 6491MT as
compared to 6515MT in 1999. Rapid population growth and increased
pressure on land have led to a reduction in fallow periods to below the
threshold needed for sustainability (FAO, 1985; Conways, 1997). To
compound the situation, essential inputs such as fertilizer, herbicides
and pesticides were often scarce and costly at a time when economic
reforms have compelled reductions in farm inputs subsidies.
Maize is a
heavy feeder that requires sustainable amount of nutrients uptake. In
the Savannah region, the enormous potentials for maize production can be
realised only with the use of high levels of fertilizer, improved
seeds, hectarage expansion and adequate weed control. With adequate
supply of these inputs and the provision of adequate storage facilities,
the rapid expansion of maize could be sustained. Since the 1970s, the
federal government made it a policy to increase the agricultural
production through the increased use of fertilizer. This led to the
decision by the Federal Government to establish local fertilizer plants
as against relying entirely on fertilizer importation as the case was
prior to 1976. The effectiveness and sustainability of these plans
varies with government. For maize farmers, access to fertilizer is an
important input considered in the production decision. This have direct
effect on the level of productivity, thus increased productivity
contributed to economic development and policies for effective
mobilization of the resources for transforming self-sufficient oriented
maize farmers to commercial and market oriented agriculture (Nyako,
1999).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study was specially designed to find the problems and prospects of maize production in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. In carrying out this study, the respondents were made up to farmers. A total sample size of fifty respondents were interviewed with the aid of questionnaire, the findings were analyzed and discussed the result of the study revealed that the problems are inadequate land, low level of soil fertility inadequate finance, non-adoption of modern farming techniques ... Continue reading---
