Abstract

Balarabe Ibrahim Yusuf and Yohanna John Alhassan

This study analyzed resource availability and utilization in Rice production in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Three Hundred (300) farmers were randomly selected across six purposively chosen local governments known for rice farming in Sokoto State. The data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The farmers owned 1-5 plots with a mean land holding of 1.92 ha. Family labour had the highest rate of utilization in the study area and the farmers financed their farming activities through personal savings with zero loan utilization. On inputs, the result revealed that the farmers sourced fertilizer and agro-chemicals from markets, seeds from previous harvest and 75 percent of the rice farmers do not use improved varieties of seed. The results revealed that quantity of inputs used such as capital, fertilizer, seeds, agro-chemicals were insufficient and under-utilized. The study recommended that government support towards inputs provision, access to credits and training aimed at efficient inputs and credit utilization by small scale farmers should be initiated and implemented in the study area.