Assessment of farm labour chnaging patterns in cassava production in Imo State, Nigeria
| dc.contributor.author | Mbakaogu, Obumneke Emmanuel | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-04-28T13:27:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-04-28T13:27:42Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-11 | |
| dc.description | This thesis is the award of Master of Science (MSc.) Degree in Agricultural Economics | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study was carried out in Imo State. The broad objective was to analyse farm labour changing patterns in food crop production in Imo state. The specific objectives were to; examine the socioeconomic characteristics of food crop farmers in the area, identify the sources of farm labour in food crop production, determine the level of farm labour use in the area, determine and compare the availability of farm labour in the dry and wet seasons, determine the factors affecting farm labour supply in the area, and examine the constraints militating against the demand and supply of farm labour in the area. The results showed that the mean age of food crop farmer was 47 years, 68.9% were married, and the mean household size was 8 persons. Majority (43.70%) attained secondary education level, mean farm size was 0.9 hectares; mean farming experience was 26 years and food crop production was majorly for cash and family use. It was then found that food crop farmers demand for hired farm labour was mostly for land preparation (58.8%), weeding (61.5%), agrochemical application (61.5%) and harvesting (60%); while family labour were employed mostly for planting (60%) and post-harvesting activities (66.7%). It showed also that food crop farmers demanded mostly female farm labour for land preparation (58.8%), weeding (58.8%), agrochemical application (84.6%), planting (70%) and post harvesting activities (77.8%); while male farm labour were used mostly for harvesting (60%). The use of female labour for land preparation could be linked to the declining female literacy that increases their availability to farm activities and high engagement of male counterparts in non-farm activities. The results on labour changing pattern showed that in the 1980s, female labourers were rarely used (with mean score of 2.10) for food crop production, while presently the female labour is mostly employed (with mean score of 3.21) with male labourers in food crop production. In land clearing and weeding operations, the results showed that farm operations were mostly carried out manually both in the 1980s (with mean score of 3.56) and presently (with mean score of 3.02). It also showed that agrochemicals such as herbicides were rarely used (with mean score of 1.14) in the 1980s, but were presently mostly used (with mean score of 3.47) in these farm operations in the area; while fertilizer application and harvesting were mostly done manually (with mean score of 3.69 and 3.39) in both periods. Farm labour were rarely allocated (with mean score of 1.81) to off-farm activities in the 1980s, but presently were mostly (with mean score of 3.30) allocated to off-farm activities, indicating that farming (on-farm activities) was the major source of livelihood in the 1980s, but due the high remunerations from off-farm activities and the search for white collar jobs and other non-farm income sources, farm labour presently move to off-farm activities. It was found that the nature of food crop production, in-migration, farm size and distance to the nearest city were positively related to the supply of farm labour; while off-farm activities was negatively related to supply of farm labour. The results showed that high cost of labour, civilization and nofarm engagement, seasonality of agricultural production, out-migration of farm labour, land tenure system and fragmentation and scarcity of farm labour were the major constraints militating against farm labour demand and supply. The study recommended strengthening and organizing ruralurban linkages by ensuring parity in on-farm wage structure comparable with off-farm wages to reduce farm labour migration to off-engagements and rural to urban migration. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Mbakaogu, O. E. (2023). Assessment of farm labour chnaging patterns in cassava production in Imo State, Nigeria [Unpublished Master'sl Thesis]. Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.futo.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14562/2703 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Federal University of Technology, Owerri | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Labour | |
| dc.subject | cassava | |
| dc.subject | production | |
| dc.subject | patterns | |
| dc.subject | Department of Agricultural Economics | |
| dc.subject | demand and supply | |
| dc.title | Assessment of farm labour chnaging patterns in cassava production in Imo State, Nigeria | |
| dc.type | Master’s Thesis |