Effect of Agricultural Promotion Policy on Rice Production Output among Smallholder Farmers in Adani Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area, Enugu State

Several agricultural policies have been enacted and implemented over the decades in Nigeria, but the agricultural sector is yet to maximize its potential and bring about the desired development to the nation. The current policy known as Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) is expected to unlock the sectors potentials, reduce dependence on crude oil export and ignite the growth of the Nigerian economy. This study assessed the APP effect on rice production output among smallholder farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria. This study was carried out in Adani Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area. It was designed to assess the effects of the Presidential Initiative on Rice Production and Export on the Output of Rice in the study area. The study focused mainly on output effect of the initiative. This was carried out by comparing the level of rice output before and after the commencement of the initiative in 2015. Two stage random sampling method was used to select 80 respondents from a sample frame of rice farmers. The study revealed that most rice farmers (participant and no-participant) were male (60%) with an average household size of six. The estimated output moved 650 tons in 2016-2017 to 737 in 2018-2019. There was a small increase in the output of rice before and initiative. The study therefore recommends that government and its agencies should make improved planting materials available, always target credit facilities to the rice farmers, provide processing machines like rice destoners, rice threshers, rice millers to improve the quality of the local rice to meet with the standard of foreign rice. Framers should be given opportunities to attend workshop/training designed for this initiative.