CONSTRAINTS TO YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN COCOA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

Transcription

1 CONSTRAINTS TO YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN COCOA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA O. O. Oduwole, B. S. Famuyiwa and S. Adebiyi Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan, Nigeria

2 MESSAGE BOX 5 BENEFITS Increase in cocoa production Youth employment Better livelihood Increase in Nigeria contribution to World Market Increase Nigeria Gross Domestic Product PROBLEM Old age of farmers and farms Youth unemployment Opportunities in cocoa production Uninterested youth 2 ISSUE Nigeria Cocoa Production is decreasing 1 SOLUTION Mainstreaming youths into cocoa farming through Business incubation platform, with training, Group formation in 14 major producing states, Platform formation, Availability of inputs and credit 4 SO WHAT? If substantial youth involvement in Cocoa production is attained, productivity will be boosted, export increased 3

3 QUALITIES OF YOUTH Youth in Nigeria are ages between years They constitute 65 % of the labour force active and change oriented energetic, dynamic, eager to learn, bounds spirit, optimistic for future, receptiveness to new ideas and searching for avenue to direct their energies.

4 Frequency 40, 27% 24, 16% 35, 23% 51, 34% years years years years Fig 1: Age of Respondents

5 35 30 Percentage Percentage No formal Education Adult Education Primary School Secondary School Tertiary Institution Fig 2: Educational level of Respondents

6 Scores Fig 3: Reasons for Youth involvement in Cocoa Production

7 Table 1: Involvement of Youth in Cocoa Production Activities by Rank Activities involved Scores Mean Rank Land Preparation Transplanting Weeding Harvesting Nursery Agricultural Practices Storage Pruning Pest Control Fertilizer Application Processing Marketing Source: Field Survey 2016

8 Table 2: Constraints to Youth involvement in Cocoa Activities Constraints Scores Mean Rank Lack of rural infrastructure (Land) Lack of access to credit Low income Hazards involved in some activities Low yield Labour intensity Low prestige of agriculture Lack of post-harvest and storage facilities Untimely supply of inputs Long gestation of cocoa Government Policies Drudgery Climatic conditions Lack of technical know-how/extension Family influence Lack of access to market Competition with aged farmers Source: Field Survey, 2016

9 Table 3: Chi-square test for relationship between respondents involvement and constraints Constraints Chi Square Value Probability Decision Lack of access to Land S Lack of access to credit S Low profitability of investment S Hazards involved in some activities S Low yield S Labour intensity S Low prestige of agriculture S Lack of post-harvest and storage facilities S Untimely supply of inputs S Long gestation of cocoa S Government Policies S Drudgery S Climatic conditions S Lack of technical know-how/extension S Family influence NS Lack of access to market S Competition with aged farmers NS S =Significant; NS= Not Significant. Significant level = 0.05 Source: Field Survey, 2016

10 Youth incubation platform WAY FORWARD Knowledge or Skill Theoretical and Practical Means Right Behaviour Attitude and Desire Harvesting Processing Drying Training of 100 youth on value addition CRIN Developed Products Bagging/storage