Effect of Importation Ban on Rice Production in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, Nigeria

Aim: The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the importation ban on rice production in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, Nigeria.

Methodology: A two-stage sampling procedure was used to select 110 respondents. The study used a structured questionnaire and oral interview to collect data from rice farmers on socioeconomic characteristics, change in input utilization, access to factors of production, adoption of new ideas and practices, and change in rice production. Data were analyzed using means, frequency counts, percentages, correlation analysis and z-test. The study was conducted between February and June in the year 2021.

Results: The findings revealed that 36.6% of the respondents were within the age range of 31-40 years while the mean age was 38.62 years. The majority (90.1%) were males and the majority (80.2%) were married. Only 14.9% of the respondents did not acquire formal education. There was a great increase in the utilisation of herbicides (mean=4.47), water pumps (mean=4.58), fertilizers (mean =4.62) and seeds (mean =4.79). Access to credits (mean =1.27), pesticides (mean =1.56), knapsack sprayers (mean =1.71), water pumps (mean =1.76), fertilizers (mean =1.81) and farmlands (mean =1.89) was high but access to subsidies (mean =0.70) and extension services (mean =0.69) was low. There was significant positive correlation between age (r=0.56, p=0.00), income, (r=0.43, p= 0.00), size of farm holding, (r=0.30, p= 0.02), household size (r=0.23, p= 0.02), change in input utilisation (r=0.22, p=0.03) and change in rice production. A significant difference existed between the quantity of rice produced before the ban and after the ban (z=-4.54, p˂0.05).

Conclusion: The importation ban policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria caused a substantial increase in paddy rice production. The study recommended that the government proactive measure on rice importation ban should be sustained to make the country self-sufficient in rice production.