Abstract

OK Ishiaku, U Haruna, HA Danwanka and HR Suleiman

This study examined the utilization of farm resources among fadama III small scale rice farmers in Nasarawa
state. Data were collected from a random sample of 1200 farmers (600 participating and 600 non participating
farmers) from seven local government areas of Nasarawa state. These were analyzed using regression analysis,
farm budget, t-test and efficiency measures. The result revealed that the coefficient of labour, fertilizer, seed
were statistically significant at (P<0.01) and farm size (P<0.05) and herbicide (P<0.1) for participants, while the
non participants fertilizer was found to be (P<0.01), labour, seed and herbicide (P<0.05) and farm size (P<0.1).
The overall production elasticity of the inputs used was 1.045 and 1.356 for participants and non participants.
Participants used all the resources more efficiently than the non participants with a ratio of 6.40 as against 9.04
for labour, 6.71 as against 7.60 for fertilizer, 3.74 as against 7.11 for seed, 7.00 as against 10.92 for herbicide and
3.25 as against 5.27 for farm size. The result for MVP adjustment reveal 84.38% adjustment is required for
optimum utilization in labour for participants as against 88.94% for non participants. 85.10% adjustment is
required for optimum utilization in fertilizer for participants as against 88.85% for non participants. 73.22%
adjustment is required for optimum utilization in seed for participants as against 85.93% for non participants.
83.30% adjustment is required for optimum utilization in herbicide as against 90.84% for non participants.
67.23% adjustment is needed for optimum utilization in farm size as against 81.03% for non participants.
Production resources in the study area were found not to be efficiently utilized for both groups, hence, not to
optimum economic advantage. It therefore goes that urgent attention is needed through provision of
agricultural inputs to bridge the gap for optimum use of the resources in the study area and technical efficiency
in rice production in Nasarawa state could be increase through better use of farm inputs; as such there should
be provision of such enabling policies (such as making available all agricultural inputs required at the right time
and affordable prices). There is also need for fadama III participants to have access to credit, as financial
assistance from fadama project cannot meet their demand for inputs.