RURAL WOMEN AND ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION RESOURCES IN ETSAKO EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT
This study examined the access of rural women to agricultural production resources in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, their limitations as well as factors affecting access. A total of 104 respondents randomly selected in 4 randomly selected villages were used for the study. Data were collected with the use of structured questionnaire and interview schedule.
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) while Chi-square statistics was used to assess the relationship between personal characteristics of the respondents contact with extension agents and access to agricultural production resources.
Results of data analysis reveal that most women were old being above 41 years old (61.5%), married (53.8%) with an average farm size of 2.1ha. Their educational background was poor i.e. primary school and formal education (69.2%). Contact with extension agents was low with 68 respondents (65.4%) having no contact. Of the eight production resources examined, women had easy access to only four. These are farmland (x = 2.80), labour (x = 2.00), improved varieties (x = 2.00) and storage facilities (x = 2.01). In aggregate terms, most or 65.4% had low access to agricultural production resources. Major factors limiting their access to these resources include irregular extension agents visit (80.77%), unavailability of farm inputs (71.15%) and poor state of low income (71.15%). Chi-square analysis shows that marital status (X2 = 16.17, p > 0.05), education (X2 = 13.43, p > 0.05), membership of cooperative society (X2 = 5.63, p >0.05), income (X2 = 16.05, p >0.05) and contact with extension agents (X2 = 17.07, p > 0.05) were significant variables affecting women’s access to agricultural production resources. The study proposed that extension agents should pay more visits to these farmers/women, while efforts should be made to extend credit facilities to them.