Determinants of Maize Production Participation and Intensity among Rural Farming Households in Nigeria

Abstract

Farmers’ participation and production intensity in maize production are influenced by a combination of socioeconomic and production-related characteristics that shape their ability and willingness to produce. This study analyzed the determinants of farmers’ participation and production intensity in maize production in Nigeria using data from the fifth wave of the General Household Survey cross-section, 2023/2024. The study employed descriptive statistics and the Cragg double-hurdle model for data analysis. The results showed that both participants and non-participants were predominantly male-headed and married households. Intercropping dominated maize production, accounting for 72.42% of participants, and production was predominantly market-oriented, with 89.06% of farmers producing mainly for sale. The double-hurdle results indicate that bank account ownership and access to main roads (p < 0.05), as well as residence in the North-West and South-South zones (p < 0.01) and the South-West zone (p < 0.10), significantly increase the likelihood of maize production participation. Production intensity among participants is negatively associated with age and positively influenced by hired labour (p < 0.01), herbicide quantity used (p < 0.05), household size (p < 0.05) and farm size (p < 0.01). The results indicate that the decision to participate in maize production is influenced by financial and infrastructural factors and regional location, whereas production intensity depends largely on farm size and input utilization.