ANALYSIS OF UTILIZATION OF ANIMAL TRACTION POWER BY CROP FARMERS IN JIGAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The use of animals for farm operations lighten human labour for farm cultivation, freight and transport thereby contributing immensely to the farm economy. The study was undertaken to analyse utilization of animal traction power by farmers in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select 266 respondents from a total population of 3,3895 registered farmers using animal traction power. Information were collected using a structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that all of the respondents were adult, married males with mean age of 25 years. A little over one-third of the respondents are literate with significant (75%) membership of associations. Also, 30.0% and 23.3% of the respondents have experience of animal traction power utilization of between 11-15 years, and above 20 years, respectively while 43% have farm size of not more than half (0.5) hectare. Over 60% inherited the farmlands. The study revealed that about 84% of the respondent’ source of animal traction power are bulls. Tillage practices (44.41%), transportation (21.27%) and pulling sledges (15.06%) ranked first, second and third respectively, as the major farming operations traction power is employed for in the study area. Multiple regression analysis results shows that education level, farming experience and farm size had a positive and significant relationship affecting and influencing use animal traction by the respondents. Also, over one-third (38.8%) of the respondents were challenged by scarcity of feed resources and water while 20.3% were
constrained by animal health issues. Therefore, the study concluded that animal traction power is a reliable means of farming operation utilized by small scale farmers that has the potential of uplifting the socio-economics standard of the farmers.