DRIVERS OF RICE VALUE ADDITION AMONG WOMEN SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN RURAL KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined agricultural innovation and development as drivers of value addition decisions among women smallholder rice farmers in rural Kogi State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, assess agricultural innovation-related value addition practices and determine the factors influencing participation in rice value addition activities. primary data were collected from 100 women rice farmers using structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Findings revealed that the mean age of respondents was 38 years, most farmers operating small-scale holdings averaging 1.6 hectares. About 41% had primary education, 29% secondary education, 8% tertiary education, while 22% had no formal education. Results showed that women farmers were mainly engaged in basic value addition activities, with rice drying (84%), parboiling (78%) and milling (61%) being predominant, while 22% participated in packaging and branding, indicating low engagement in advanced value addition and weak adoption of innovation-driven processing practices. The logistic regression results indicated that education level (p < 0.01), access to credit (p < 0.05) and farm size (p < 0.01) had positive and significant effects on participation in value addition, while distance to market (p < 0.05) had a negative and significant effect. The model showed good explanatory power with a Nagelkerke R² of 0.452 and a classification accuracy of 78%, indicating a strong fit and predictive reliability. The study concludes that agricultural innovation and development significantly influence value addition decisions among women rice farmers. The study recommends improved access to credit, strengthened agricultural extension services, investment in rural infrastructure, and targeted support for women in agro-processing to enhance value chain participation and rural development outcomes.