EMPIRICAL REVIEW OF RICE FARMERS’ INVESTMENT IN VALUE ADDITION INKEBBI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study reviewed empirical analysis of rice farmers’ investment in value addition activities in Kebbi State, Nigeria. An attempt was also made to describe the various rice value addition activities in Nigeria. The empirical reviewed describe the stages in rice value addition activities to include input supply, production, harvesting, processing, parboiling, milling, winnowing, destining, bagging and marketing. Result indicated that only 16.0% of rice farmers in Kebbi State engaged in the first category of value addition activities, that is, parboiling, winnowing and drying only, and only 6.0% of rice farmers involved in the second category of value addition which included parboiling, winnowing, drying and de-stoning. Only 2.0% of rice farmers engaged in the last category of rice value addition which comprises of parboiling, milling, drying, de-stoning and bagging. Several studies reviewed revealed that investments in rice value addition activities in Nigeria are profitable, however, result reviewed showed that majority of rice farmers (76.0%) in Kebbi State were not involved in value addition activities. It was recommended that farmers should be encouraged to take advantage of the benefits in value addition activities to improve their livelihood activities and increase their income which invariably reduced their poverty status.