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Volume 2 | Issue 1 | Page 19-25 Ewemen Journal of Plant Genetics & Chemotaxonomy ISSN: 2488-9172 Available online at http://ewemen.com/category/ejpgc/ Original Research ANALYSIS OF THE CONSTRAINTS TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN BAKORI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KATSINA STATE 1*LADAN S. I. and 2SULE I. I. 1Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, Nigeria. 2Makama V, Bakori District, Bakori Local Government Area, Katsina State ABSTRACT Received 13 May, 2017 The Federal Government of Nigeria is shifting emphasis on developing the Revised on the 12 June, 2017 enormous potentials in agriculture as a viable option towards diversifying the Accepted 14 June, 2017 economy due to dwindling oil revenues. In many States of the Federation, Author’s Email: particularly those in the northern part conscious efforts are being made to [email protected] develop agriculture as source of food, income and employment generation. This paper analyses the constraints to agricultural development in Bakori Local Government Area located in the southern part of Katsina State. Data for the study were generated through direct observations and structured interview with the seasoned farmers in the sampled villages in the Local Government which include Bakori, Kakumi, Jargaba and Tsiga. The results showed several constraints such as, high cost of agrochemicals, low level of income of the farmers, poor storage facilities, changing rainfall patterns and fluctuations in market price of farm products among others as major challenges to agricultural development in the local government. A sustainable government intervention which include enhancement of Bakori dam irrigation project to augment rain fed agriculture practice is recommended to assist the farmers to overcome the challenges. Keywords : Analysis; Constraints; Agricultural development; Bakori INTRODUCTION Agriculture in Nigeria is not well developed as first week of July 2016 (Usman et al., 2016). Hence, evident by subsistence level of production among the country now realizes the need to develop other farmers, large scale food import and the fact that the sectors of the economy as a way of diversifying the sector does not contribute significantly to Gross economic base of the nation to absorb shocks in the Domestic Product (GDP). The agricultural sector was price of crude oil in the international market. for four decades relegated to the background as a Scholars have further observe that the crude oil result of the huge revenues obtained from crude oil exploitation has over the years brought with it exports particularly in the 1970s during the oil disruptive consequences resulting in painful social boom. The recent slump in global oil prices from and environmental adjustments which can be over $100 to less than $40 per barrel has pushed the effectively countered by fully exploiting the huge national economy into recession beginning from the potentials inherent in agriculture which offers a © 2017 Ewemen Resources Limited / EJPGC. All rights reserved Ewemen Journal of Plant Genetics & Chemotaxonomy 2017, 2(1):19-25 Ladan and Sule more sustainable and inclusive development (Ifo, Study Area 2016). It is in line with this, that the Federal Government of Nigeria is shifting emphasis on Bakori Local Government Area (LGA) was created on developing the enormous potentials in agriculture as 15th May 1989 out of land previously incorporated as a viable option towards diversifying the national part of Funtua LGA and on 21st September 1991. economy as a result of the dwindling oil revenues. In Danja LGA was curved out from Bakori LGA. The many States of the federation, particularly those in local government has its headquarters at Bakori the northern parts, conscious efforts are being made town with the entire Bakori LGA presently covering to develop agriculture as source of food, income, and an area of 679 km2 (262 sq miles) and population of employment generation to cushion the effects of the 149,371 based on the 2006 population census economic recession on the States and the country at (Lawal, 2015). Bakori LGA is located approximately large. between latitudes 11°55’30’’N – 12°43’0’’N and longitudes 7°30’0’’E – 7°43’30”E (Figure 1). The LGA Agriculture in Katsina State contributes to food shares boundaries to the north with Kankara LGA, to production and security, employment generation, the north east with Malumfashi, to the southeast raw materials production and consequently the GDP with Kafur LGA, to the south with Danja and Funtua of the State and the country as a whole (Ifo, 2016). LGAs and to the west by Faskari LGA. Agriculture is the backbone of the State’s economy as 75% of the people are full or part time farmers. Katsina State is blessed with abundant agricultural land and wide range of crops which include millet, guinea corn, maize, wheat, rice, potatoes, Irish potatoes, beans, cassava, cotton, groundnuts and different types of vegetables, are grown. In addition to the farming of crops, the State possesses a large livestock population mainly made up cattle, goats and sheep which are reared in the Sudan savanna vegetation zone of the State. Fishing activities are carried out along rivers and on small, medium and large scale dams such as Zobe Dam, Jibia Dam, Sabke Dam, Daberam Dam, Ajiwa Dam, Mairuwa Dam and many others. In terms of forestry, there are both public and private forests in different parts of the State that include forest reserves, plantations, woodlots, orchards shelter belts and trees on farmlands. Rumah/Kukar Jangarai Forest Reserve in the north western part of the State in Batsari, Safana and Danmusa local government areas in the largest forest reserve in Katsina State (Alo et al., 1998). Figure 1: Map of the Study area Bakori LGA However, despite the potentials of the State in crop farming, cattle rearing, fishing and forestry, Bakori LGA is made up of two districts namely Bakori agricultural development is constraint by several and Tsiga, each is headed by a district head. challenges leading to poor yield and farmers’ Makaman Katsina is the district head of Bakori,who frustration. This paper aims at analyzing the was recently turbaned as Sarkin Adon Sarkin Katsina constraints to agricultural development in Bakori and that of Tsiga is headed by Jarman Katsina. The Local Government Katsina State with particular LGA has the following major settlements – Bakori, emphasis on crop production. The specific objectives Kakumi, Kabomo, Guga, Jargaba, Tsiga, Tamarke, of the study were to examine agriculture and Kwantakwaram etc (Figure 1). The LGA consists of agricultural development in Bakori local government twenty one village areas, eleven of which are in area (LGA), and identify and analyze the constraints Bakori district and ten are in Tsiga district. The to agricultural productivity in the LGA with the goal inhabitants of the LGA are mainly Hausa/ Fulani of offering recommendations towards overcoming Muslims and a number of followers of traditional the constraints to agricultural development in the religion called Maguzawa (Animist Hausas) who are LGA. found in few villages around Tsiga village (Magaji, 2015). The occupation of the people is mainly www.ewemen.com | 20 Ewemen Journal of Plant Genetics & Chemotaxonomy 2017, 2(1):19-25 Ladan and Sule farming both rain-fed crop cultivation and irrigation of agricultural production in the LGA using both farming at Bakori dam site and at river side and irrigation and rain fed farming. flooded lands (Fadamas), others engage in cattle rearing, fishing and trading activities. Bakori town as Method a large grains market known as Kasuwar sama where agricultural crop commodities were supplied by Data for the study were collected through field visit peasant and large scale farmers from the LGA and is to the local government include Bakori, Kabomo, patronized by traders from different parts of Katsina Kakumi, Guga, Jargaba and Tsiga. These areas State and other parts of the country (Mahmud, represent three villages each from both Bakori and 2014). Tsiga districts that constitutes the LGA. A structured questionnaire was used to generate data for the In terms of physical setting, the climate is tropical study (See Appendix). In all the six villages, two focus continental type with two distinct seasons, dry and groups consisting of five farmers each were formed wet seasons. The dry season last for some eight to respond to the questionnaire. This give ten (10) months and the wet or rainy season last for some respondents from each village to give the total four months (Adefila, 2014). The mean annual number of sixty (60) from the six villages rainfall for the LGA is between 889 – 1061 mm with respondents used for the study. The questions the rain falling mostly between May – September of answered by the focus groups were on the supply of every year. The dry seasons starts by October to agro-chemicals (fertilizer and pesticides), receiving April of the year with cold, dry and dusty local winds any form of financial assistance, changes in rainfall blowing from the Sahara desert known as Hamattan pattern, storage of farm products, prices for the sale winds by the months of December – February. of farm products at the market and suggestions Temperature is high for most of the year with a mean towards overcoming constraints to agricultural maximum of about 33.33°C and a mean minimum of production in the LGA (See Appendix). The about 22.2°C (Alo et al., 1998). questionnaire was administered with the help of a research assistant who is appointed by the co-author The vegetation is Sudan savanna type with trees of who is the District Head of Bakori. average height, shrubs and grasses. The tree species include Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, Adansonia Direct observations on the constraints were made digitata, Anogeissus leicarpus, Parkia biglobosa. There during field visit to Bakori dam site where crops are various shrubs covering the land in parts of the were produced by irrigation, garden where LGA, with no trees.