ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF RICE FARMING ON SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL SETTLEMENTS AROUND ZOBE DAM, KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1102.027%20Keywords:
Rice farming, Development, Zobe dam, Rural livelihood, IrrigationAbstract
This study investigates the socioeconomic effects of rice farming on rural communities in the Zobe Dam area. The study used a multi-stage sampling technique to select four Local government areas that share a boundary with Zobe Dam, where rice cultivation is taking place. A total of 325 questionnaires were administered, and a key informant interview was conducted. Systematic sampling was used to select the respondents. Methods of data analysis include the use of tables, frequency counts, pie charts, bar charts, and horizontal bar charts. The finding reveals an overwhelming presence of male farmers (93.2%), indicating that rice farming in the Zobe Dam area is heavily male-dominated, with the majority of farmers falling within the middle-aged group (40–49 years), comprising 45.5% of the total. The results further show that rice farming is predominantly practised by family-oriented individuals, likely household heads who depend on farming for income, food, and family sustenance. Most (59.6%) of the rice farmers have no formal education, indicating a high illiteracy level among the farming population. The socioeconomic benefits were housing improvements such as roofing sheets (86%), cement plastering (77%), tiled floors (66%), which were upgrades from mud houses, and graded roads (88%). There is high ownership of personal/household appliances, such as mobile phones (92%), radios (83%), and fans (18%), indicating basic connectivity and comfort. Farm equipment, such as pumping machines (76%), was widely used, likely for irrigation, while tractors, planters, and dryers (0%) were not. Therefore, youth-focused interventions that offer youth-friendly training, mechanized tools, credit access, and agribusiness models should be developed to encourage younger people to embrace farming as a viable career.
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