Determinants of Land Holding Size among Rice Farmers in Southeast, Nigeria

This study identified determinants of land holding size of rice farmers in Anambra state, southeast Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used in sample selection. Six autonomous communities were chosen purposively based on the consideration of rice farming activities in these rural communities. The sample frame was 182 rice farmers. From this sample frame, twenty rice farmers were randomly selected from 6 rice farming communities giving a sample size of 120 but 99 were valid. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from 120 randomly selected rice farmers. Data were collected on the socio- economic variables, land sizes, land amendment practices.. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics; ordinary least squares multiple regression techniques. The results showed that rice farmers in the study area were predominantly male (78.79%) with a mean age of 44.2years and household size of 8persons.Their major method of land acquisition is through communal followed by inheritance, lease and purchase. The average land size cultivated on was 1.66ha.The multiple regression analysis showed that factors such as sex, farming experience, method of land acquisition, annual off farm income and lease price of rice farmers influenced their landholding size. It is therefore concluded that with government intervention farmers can have access to increased land sizes which will invariably improve technology use and the level of profit would increase.