Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) and Profitability of Maize Production in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State-Nigeria, 2015-2019.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue II, February 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) and Profitability of Maize Production in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State-Nigeria, 2015-2019.

Gulesh, James O.¹, Dr. Linda Kwon-Ndung² & Dr. Dalhatu Musa Yusha’u^3
1,2&3 Department Of Political Science, Federal University Of Lafia, Lafia – Nigeria

Abstract
Necessitated by the need to increase the contribution of non-oil sector and reduce dependence on oil, the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) was developed as a new agricultural development strategy predicated on neoclassical principles with increase in maize production among others as a major priority. This paper examines the effectiveness of the policy on profitability of maize production in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State-Nigeria from 2015-2019 with the aim of determining the profitability dynamics of the crop. A descriptive survey research method was adopted with 370 respondents that are members of Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Bokkos Local Government Area Chapter administered questionnaires and 384 unregistered farmers participating in Focus Group Discussion. The paper utilised Rentier-State Theory as a construct. It was found that the APP increased profitability in maize production by 75% and led to increase in output. The paper recommended that government and stakeholders should prioritise increased profitability side-by-side maize production and stabilising market forces that undermine favourable pricing at all periods. Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development while formulating and implementing Agricultural Development Policies should always consider agriculture not just as business but a profitable venture for increased income towards sustainable growth and development of the sector.

Keyword: Agricultural Policy & Profitability

INTRODUCTION

The 2015-2017 economic recession in Nigeria reinvigorated government energy towards increasing the contribution of agriculture to the nation’s economy by harnessing the potentials of other sectors among others that were hitherto affected by inflow of petro-dollar. To achieve this, a new agricultural development framework known as the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) was developed in 2016 to consolidate on the gains of Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) that was in existence since 2012. Three out of the key principles of the new document emphasised administering agriculture as a business, prioritizing crops and making it market oriented (National Association of Nigerian Traders, 2018). Similarly, to achieve food security and boost export earnings (through economic diversification), the strategy focuses on expanding production of a number of crops from 2016-2018. This includes rice, wheat, maize, soya beans and gum Arabic (World Trade Organisation {WTO}, 2017). All these fall under the crop subsector. Under this new agricultural development strategy, the States and Local Governments are expected to key in towards improving the general state of the economy and better the lots of the citizens through increased income, employment opportunities, poverty reduction and increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Agricultural production in Nigeria generally, comprises four dominant sub-sectors: crop production, fishery, livestock production and forestry. Crop production in particular is the most widely participatory, constituting about 84% of farmers. Maize production alone as a major farming activity by the teaming small-scale farmers whose population is put around 96% of the entire farmers (Mgbenka & Mbah, 2015), witnessed its first revolution in the early 80s which coincided with introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). Going forward, the highest national output ever recorded of about 11million metric tonnes took place between 2015-2017 coinciding with the period of economic recession in Nigeria (Odemero, Oghenehogagame & Chukwujioke, 2019).
Narrowing this to Plateau State, data from Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) Department of the Plateau State Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) (2021) show trends in maize production in Plateau State thus, 239, 430 metric tonnes was produced in 2012; 250, 940 in 2013; 258, 470 in 2014; 266, 220 in 2015; 274, 210 in 2016; 278, 320 in 2017; 398, 500 in 2018; and 420, 240 in 2019. This mirrors down to Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) which brings to bear the following fundamental questions: Was the increase from 2015-2019 engendered by the new agricultural development strategy – APP? Does the increase also reflect the true circumstances in the implementation of diversification policy that trickled down to Bokkos Local Government Area? Were maize farmers in Bokkos Local Government Area motivated through increased in profitability, since APP treats agriculture as a business which probably surged their contribution to the national economy as evident in the GDP?

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