Impact of Rural Road Transport on Agricultural Production in Kwara State
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uyo
Abstract
This study examines the impact of rural roads and transport services on agricultural production in Kwara State, Nigeria. Data for the study was derived from a total of 546 respondents from three Local Government Areas (LGAs) spread across the three senatorial districts in the state. Ten rural settlements were purposively selected from each of the three LGAs giving a total of 30 sampled settlements. The data collected through structure questionnaire was analysed using the stepwise multiple regression analysis and principal component analysis. The results show that farm size, distance to major market, farming experience, age and nature of transport services available are important in predicting agricultural production in the area. Rural settlements in Kaiama LGA which has vast agricultural lands and high agricultural production were found to be the most inaccessible in the State. Poor transportation restricts expansion of agricultural production in this area, due to the low farm-gate prices. It is therefore suggested that Interventions in the transport sector should not be limited to provision of roads alone but should include measures that will help improve vehicle supply in rural areas.
Description
Keywords
Rural Roads, Transport Services, Poor Access, Agricultural Production
Citation
Nigerian Journal of Agriculture, Food and Environment