A comparative Analysis of gender involvement in peanut production and processing in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Gender disparity is a common phenomenon in Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample 132 farmers. The study analyzed the level of involvement and determinants of level of involvement of peanut producers and processors in the study area. Analytical techniques used were descriptive statistics, participation index and Logit regression model. The results reveal under-utilisation of modern processing equipment by the processors while peanut oil, Kulikuli and Donkwa were the major by-products. In peanut production, female farmers were actively involved in planting, fertilizer application, weeding, and harvesting while the males dominated in two major production activities which were land clearing and heap/ridging making. Conversely, female farmers’ major processing activities were cleaning and sorting while the males dominated in grading and blenching activities. The result further reveals that the size of female gender household was a very important factor that determined the level of their involvement in both production and processing activities. For the male category, their level of education and access to extension services were two key factors which determined their level of involvement both in production and processing activities while for both genders, educational level of the respondents was a critical factor. Based on the findings, government should ensure the availability of modern production and processing equipment at affordable prices to increase gender involvement in peanut production and processing