Towards Promoting Agricultural Production and Entrepreneurship: The Place of Pineapple in Nigeria

Abstract

This study determined the production and marketing activities of pineapple farmers in Iguegben local government area of Edo State. It identified constraints faced by pineapple farmers in their farming and entrepreneurial practices. The place of pineapple in promoting agricultural production and entrepreneurship was also determined. The study involved a multi-stage sampling procedure for the study. Eighteen local government areas were randomly sampled. Two communities were also randomly sampled from the communities selected out of which 50 household were also randomly sampled. In each household one respondent was picked, the head of household. Therefore, 100 pineapple farmers were purposively selected for this study because its predominance in the area. The result showed that income from many of the farmers either through pineapple business or other sources would not be enough to set up a large pineapple farming business. The constraints affecting pineapple producers are inadequate capital to invest in large scale entrepreneur. Lack of high yielding planting materials that farmers require for effective farming, cost of farming materials and chemicals, cost of labor required on the farm land, lack of hired labor constitutes the bulk of the very severe problems being faced by pineapple farmers with 85.9 percent, 82.1 percent, 65.4 percent and 52.6 percent of the respondents respectively. Storage of pineapple is with low technology and techniques thereby leading to waste. Pineapple distribution is still at the hand of retailers who do not purchase large quantities at a time. Chi square test of relationship showed that there is significant relationship between sex (X2 = 13.545; p = 0.035), income (X2 = 20.198; p = 0.017) from pineapple and the activities involved in the production of pineapple. The result showed that income from pineapple is equally as high as income from other sources. Therefore pineapple has potential for large scale production and for export, if post harvest processing technology should be improved through setting up of processing industries. The farmers should be encouraged by extension agents in providing information and techniques needed not just to increase their production but to produce more than once a year. This will promote rural entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.