Proceedings: 3rd International Conference on Food and Agricultural Economics: EFFECTS OF FADAMA III AF SORGHUM PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON WOMEN AND YOUTHS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

This study was conducted in Niger state Nigeria to determine the effect of Fadama III AF development programme on women and youth sorghum farmers. A Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted for the sampling procedure. Two local government areas were selected and four villages were randomly selected from both local governments. A total of 78 respondents which included women and youths were selected from the villages which brought the total of the respondents to be 156. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, propensity score matching analyzed the effect of Fadama III AF programme on the income, labor, output and area of land cultivated. The ordinary least square regression model was used to analyse the determinants of the income of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. The study revealed that the average income, output and labour used of the beneficiaries increased after the participation of the development program depicting a positive impact on the beneficiaries. The study revealed that the mean age of the beneficiaries and non- beneficiaries were 34years and 37years respectively. The majority of the beneficiaries were females 62.80% and males 37.20% for the non- beneficiaries. The OLS estimates indicated that quantity of seeds at 1%, labour at 5%, farming experience at 5%, number of adopted technologies at 10% and transportation at 1% level of significance respectively were the determinants of income for the beneficiaries while price of sorghum at 1%, farm size at 1% and farming experience at 10% level of significance respectively were the determinants of income for the non- beneficiaries. Therefore it was recommended that the Federal Government, ADP’s, nongovernmental agency and financing institutions (World Bank) ensure the continuation of the programme and extension to the non-beneficiaries in order to improve the standard of living in the rural area.