EFFICIENCY IN RICE PRODUCTION AND AVAILABILITY DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: FOCUS ON PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD BUHARI RICE PRODUCTION PROGRAMME IN MINNA, NIGER STATE. NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper aimed to assessed the efficiency in rice production and availability during the covid-19 lockdown, with  the objective  to determine the success of president Muhammad Buhari rice production programmes in chanchaga local government area of Minna, Niger state; Nigeria. A sampled questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The study area was divided into eleven (11) Wards. The eleven wards are Limawa wards (a & b), Mekera, Minna (central and south), Nasarawa (a, b, c), Sabon-Gari and Tudun (North and South).  Salants and Dillman (2007) formula was adopted for sample size selection. Four hundred (400) questionnaires were administered to sampled households. Three hundred eighty-two (382) questionnaires were returned and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis shows that 52.37percent of the farmers were involved in the RIFAN programme, 52.09% of households responded had no problem with rice scarcity during the covid-19 lockdown. About 200 respondents, which account for 52.36 percent had a low rice production level before the programme, while 51.83 percent of the respondents had their rice increase production level during the ongoing programme. While, in terms of loan accessibility, 46.60 percent of the total respondents accessed their loans easily through commercial banks. However, 75.39 percent of the respondents applaud the local rice production policy, based on the sanity it brought on the suffering from the importation of rice. On the other hand, only 24.61 percent of the respondents has diverse opinions. Among the recommendations that the agricultural programme on rice production be sustained, loans credit facilities accessibility should be made easy to farmers at all levels, and agencies should be constituted for strict monitoring and supervision of the program.