Impact of Agricultural Cooperatives on Food Production among Fadama User Groups in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of Agricultural Cooperatives on food production. The study was necessitated by the increasing consumption and demand for food products in a subsistent agriculture dominated setting. As such, the effect of the socio-economic characteristics of members of Agricultural Cooperatives on food production in the study area was determined while the determinants of food production were statistically estimated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine and estimate the objectives on socio-economic characteristics of the members of Cooperatives, and determinants of food production in the study area respectively. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the responses of 216 Agricultural Cooperators randomly selected. From the study, it was discovered that food production activity is a female dominated activity with the least of formal education in the study area. The farmers were mostly in the active age bracket with a relatively good farm sizes, leading to a good income profile of the members. Among the determinants of food production in the area, gender; education; farming experience; farm size and input cost were significant (p<0.05). The study recommended that extension services be made available in the study area with particular reference to the female gender; government intervention with favourable land reforms and the mounting of development programme that would make grants available to Cooperative Farmers.