Factors Influencing Rural Women Farmer’s Participation in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucom) production in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the world’s sixth most important cereal crop, following wheat, rice, maize, barley, and sorghum; it is adapted to arid and semi-arid environments and performs well in low soil fertility conditions. The study used Katsina State as a case study to determine the participation of rural female farmers in pearl millet production in Northern Nigeria. The study’s 300 participants were chosen using a multi-stage sampling technique. The data was gathered using a questionnaire, and the results were analyzed using percentages, mean scores, and multiple regression. The analysis revealed that the majority of respondents (74.5%) were married, with 30.7% being between the ages of 31 and 40. The results also revealed that 37.1% of respondents had 1 to 5 years of farming experience, 30.8% had 6 to 10 years of farming experience, and the majority (45.5%) had no formal education. Furthermore, 68.1% of respondents had farms ranging in size from 1-3 hectares, and the respondents’ average annual income was N255, 216.44. The results also show that land preparation and weed control were the most popular activities among the women farmers in the study area, accounting for 96.6% and 96.3% of the responses, respectively. The multiple regression analysis revealed that household size and education level were all significant at the 1% probability level. The most difficult challenge that rural women face in millet production is bureaucracy in obtaining loans. Other constraints include insufficient funds, pests and diseases, high labor costs, high maintenance costs, and limited access to extension agents. It was however recommended that financial institutions simplify the loan application process for farmers, particularly rural women, and that the government ensure that inputs such as fertilizer are readily available to women farmers at reasonable prices.

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