Land exchange practice and technical efficiency of rice farmers in North-eastern zone of Nigeria

Abstract

In the context of agricultural development, economic growth, and food security in Africa, examining the practice of land exchange holds significant relevance. This study analyses the practice of land exchange and its effect on farmers' performance in Norther Eastern Zone of Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select a sample of 400 rice farmers engaged in irrigation farming. The selected farmers participated in structured interviews, providing the necessary data for the study. Descriptive analysis (of the mean) revealed that farmers are engaged in land exchange (16.07%) using two methods: land exchange for agricultural use (or farming purposes) and land exchange for property. Using a logistic regression model, it was found that number of plots, decrease in distance among plots, practice of mechanization, decrease in production costs, and improvement of efficiency were factors influencing farmers to exchange land. The result also suggested that farmers exhibited a high level of technical efficiency, implying that there is room for further enhancement in efficiency through the adoption of advanced technologies and the optimal utilization of existing resources. The beta regression's results indicated that land development have a negative effect on technical efficiency, while household size, rented land, and hired labor have positive effects. However, it was found that the practice of land exchange did not affect the level of technical efficiency of rice farmers in the study area, because of the observed limited land market and the high level of crop diversification. Hence, policymakers are advised to define land use rights explicitly and encourage land transactions, such as renting among farmers, selling occupancy rights, and transferring leasehold rights. These measures aim to improve land efficiency and bolster the land market.