LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION OF RURAL WOMEN IN RICE PROCESSING IN EDU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KWARA STATE

Abstract

The study assesses the level of participation of rural women in rice processing in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State. To achieve the study objectives, multi – stage random sampling technique was used to select 125 respondents from five communities of Edu local government area. Descriptive statistics and Net Farm Income were used to analyze the data collected. The result showed that 67.2% of the women processors were in the active age range of 30 – 50 years. The result also revealed that 78.4%, 64.0% and56.0% of women processors did not participate in harvesting, threshing and winnowing of rice in the study area. The result further revealed that 66.4%, 96.0%, 93.6% and 87.2% of the women processors were involved in storing, parboiling, drying and milling. The Net Farm Income gave an estimate of ₦24,697.37/processor which confirms the profitability of rice processing in the study area. The major problems encountered by the women rice processors were; lack of credit facilities, inadequate capital, bad storage facilities, inadequate means of transportation, poor electricity supply and inadequate technical advice on processing. In order to give the rural women in the study area a better comparative advantage and more profit, policy considerations should focus on the provision of support services through provision of incentives for better processing techniques that will facilitate the process of rice processing and better product with high market value and profit. Women rice processors should form local group memberships to have a sound voice that will effectively champion there cause to have better access to farm inputs, credits and address other barriers to enhance their role in rice processing.