Impact of Agricultural Technology on Maize Farming in Kaduna State, Nigeria

The study examined the impact of agricultural technologies on the output of maize in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Cross sectional survey method was adopted in sampling the opinions of the respondent. As such, structured questionnaire was utilized in eliciting respondents’ opinions that formed the data for the study. In the first stage of selection, the study randomly selected two out of the three senatorial zones in Kaduna state for the study; which are Kaduna central and Kaduna South senatorial zones. In the second stage, one local government area was also selected for the study. In the third stage, three communities were selected from each of the local government. In the fourth stage, a sample frame of one thousand, one hundred and five (1105) farmers was obtained. As such, the study randomly selected about 10% of the total respondents from each of the communities which formed the sample size of 99 for the study. The variables utilized in the study include; maize output and maize farmers income (dependent variables), the regressors include; credit facility, fertilizers, pesticides, improved seedlings, and infrastructures. Frequency tables, and simple percentage were utilized to analyzed information’s elicited from the respondents relating to socio-characteristics. While, the state hypotheses were tested using 2-way ANOVA. The study found that the utilization of agricultural technologies impacts positively on maize output production and farmers income at 1 percent significance level. Whereas, credit facility was found to exerting no significant impact on the output of maize and maize farmers income. While also, the socio-economic characteristics of the maize farmers was found to stimulating maize farming positively. The study concluded that agricultural technologies has the capacity to stimulate output of maize and farmers income. As such, the study recommended that government at all levels and non-government organization, should work-out a policy framework that will stimulate increased availability and access of agricultural technologies to the maize farmers.