This study analyzed productivity of farmland values in food crop
production in natural disasters prone areas of Imo State, Nigeria. The
study specifically determined farmland values, productivity of food
crop farmers by farmland values, and factors influencing food crop
farmers productivity in the different farmland values. Data were
collected with questionnaire from 280 proportionately and randomly
selected food crop farmers. Data were analyzed using descriptive
statistics, farmland value model, productivity model, and multiple
regression techniques. Results showed that farmland suitability index
ranged from < 0.499 to 0.948 with a mean of 0.350.Majority (72.1%) of
the farmers cultivated on non-suitable farmlands, 22.9% of them
cultivated on marginally suitable farmlands while few (5%) of the
farmers cultivated on suitable farmlands, implying that majority of the
farmlands cultivated for food crop production in the study area are not
suitable. Food crop farmers’ productivity increases with suitability of
farmland and the productivity of farmland increases from 1.35 to 2.25
and 3.14 as farmland moves from non-suitable to marginally suitable and
suitable values respectively, thus making marginally suitable and
suitable farmlands about 48% and 133% higher in farmland productivity
than non-suitable farmlands. Farmland rent, quantity of fertilizer
applied, quantity of organic manure applied, education level, quality
of planting materials, and distance of farmland from farmer’s home have
significant influence on marginally suitable farmlands productivity.
Farm size, quantity of fertilizer applied, quantity of organic manure
applied, farming experience, and quality of planting materials
significantly influenced suitable farmlands productivity. Crop farmers
cultivating non-suitable farmland should explore measures to improve the
fertility of their farmlands or minimize wastage of production
resources through reduction in the size of farmlands, cultivated.
Contribution/ Originality
This study documents productivity of farmland values in food crop
production in the natural disaster prone areas, using farmland value and
productivity models. The paper’s major contribution is finding that the
majority of farmlands cultivated by the farmers is non-suitable due to
the influence of natural disasters.
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