INFLUENCE OF NIRSAL INTERVENTION ON RICE PRODUCTIVITY IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigates the influence of NIRSAL intervention on rice productivity in Benue State, Nigeria. Specifically, it describes the socio-economic characteristics of rice farmers, estimated the rice productivity among NIRSAL beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries and analyze the effect of the NIRSAL scheme on the productivity of rice in the study area. A multi-stage sampling procedure was for selection of 166 rice farmers. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, total factor productivity index and propensity score matching. The result shows that 65% of the non-beneficiaries were male, while 53.49% of the beneficiaries were male with mean age of non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries were 46 and 44 years respectively. 96.25% and 90.70% of the non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries were married, with mean household size for non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries was 3 and 4 persons respectively. The majority (85%) of the non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries (89.53%) had at least 6 years of formal education. The mean farm size was 1.85 and 1.83 hectares and 17 and 16.48 years of farming experience for non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries respectively. They had at least 3 to 4 with extension agents. All non-beneficiaries of credits through NIRSAL had no access to formal source of credits. The result further revealed that about 5% and 95.35% of non-beneficiaries and beneficiaries were members of the cooperative societies, respectively. The result also shows 18% change in total factor productivity between non-NIRSAL beneficiaries and beneficiaries. the average treatment effect (ATT) indicates a 13.9% increase in productivity of rice farmers in Benue State due to the NIRSAL intervention. The study recommended that since the intervention showed significant increases in the productivity of the beneficiaries when compared with the nonbeneficiaries, government policies, investments, and efforts aimed at the sustainability of the scheme should be encouraged and made to be able to stimulate further increases in the growth and productivity of farmers, particularly in rice subsector.