Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers’ Participation in Cooperative Organization in Rural Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that influences smallholder rice farmers’ participation in cooperative organisations. it seek to provide answers to the reason why some rice  farmers join cooperatives while others are reluctant to join or drop out, in spite of the benefits associate with being a member. The 341 farming households was selected through multistage random sampling procedure. The data was collected and analysed using well-structured questionnaire and probit model, respectively. The results reveal among many others that cooperative members have higher income per hectare than the non-cooperative members. Younger and male farmers are more likely to participate in cooperative organization. Farmers with small farm size have the highest probability of participation than those with large farm size. Contact with extension agents and education positively influence the probability of participation.  In order to improve participation in cooperative organization, this study therefore, recommends that female headed households should be the focus of attention of any program aim to increase cooperative membership in rural Nigeria. Contact with extension agents and years of education of the household head should be improved. Programs, strategies and policies that are targeted at the achievement of increase agricultural productivity should be intensified.

Keyword: Rice, farmer, cooperative, Nigeria

JEL Classification: D02, J54, O12, P13