Abstract

Femi Ogundele

This study presented evidence-based analysis of the degree of commercialisation among small scale maize producing households in Nigeria as well as factors that determine their levels of output commercialisation using the National Bureau of Statistics Generalise Household Survey wave 2 and 3 panel data. Analysis involved computation of the household crop commercialisation index (HCCI) and Tobit regression of the determinants of output commercialisation. The results are quite revealing and brought to the fore a number of significant findings on output commercialisation among small scale farmers in Nigeria. One of such critical findings is the challenge faced by women (in terms of ownership and control) as plot management and control as well as decision over earnings from crop sales was dominated by male spouse. Also, while increased output is necessary for improved commercialisation, finding suggests that this was only achieved through extensification while storage constituted critical challenge. Also, the study underscores the significance of output price in driving output commercialisation, storage for the future sale only increased marginally due to limited capacity of the households to store for long period. This study, therefore, recommends gender inclusive agricultural commercialisation policy and the development of market infrastructure (storage and transportation).