This study provides a comparative analysis of the
socioeconomic factors influencing the use of family and hired labor on
small-scale maize-cowpea farms in Mubi North Local Government, Adamawa State,
Nigeria with a focus on enhancing sustainable agriculture. The data used for
the study were collected from 160 respondents in Mubi North Government Area
with the aid of a structured questionnaire using stratified random sampling
techniques. Utilizing four functional forms of regression models—linear,
semi-logarithm, double logarithm, and log inverse—the research identifies key
determinants impacting labor use. For family labor, significant positive
influences include household size (p<0.05), total farm output (p<0.05),
and farmers' experience (p<0.01), collectively explaining 73.93% of the
variation. In contrast, hired labor is significantly influenced by the distance
of the farm from the residence (p<0.001) and total farm output (p<0.01),
while the household size and farm size exhibit significant negative influences (p<0.001),
accounting for 93.48% of the variation. The correlation analysis reveals that
larger households and greater farm sizes positively correlate with increased
productivity through both labor types, though mechanisms differ. The findings
suggest that family labor is maximized in larger households with experienced
farmers and higher farm outputs, whereas hired labor is necessitated by farm
distance and increased outputs, with larger households and farm sizes reducing
reliance on it. The study concludes that both family and hired labor are
crucially shaped by socioeconomic variables, and the policy implications are
significant. Policies should support large households in farming, improve
farmer training, develop rural infrastructure to reduce the need for hired
labor, regulate labor markets, and provide subsidies and technological support
to enhance farm productivity. These measures can collectively boost the
efficiency and sustainability of small-scale maize-cowpea farming in Mubi
North, fostering economic well-being in the region's farming communities.
Author(s) Details
Gwandi O.
Department of Agricultural Technology, Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa
State, Nigeria and Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute of
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
V. Kamalvanshi
Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute of
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Jummai Mamman
Department of Agricultural Technology, Federal Polytechnic
Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v2/1201
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