ASSESSMENT OF USAID MARKETS II SOYBEAN PRODUCTION PROJECT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

ASSESSMENT OF USAID MARKETS II SOYBEAN PRODUCTION PROJECT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Agricultural intervention programmes remain critical instruments for improving food security, rural livelihoods, and agricultural commercialization in developing economies. In Nigeria, soybean production has gained increasing attention due to its nutritional, industrial, and export potentials. Despite several donor-supported initiatives aimed at enhancing soybean productivity, concerns persist regarding the sustainability, adoption level, and overall effectiveness of these interventions among rural farmers. This study assessed the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State, Nigeria, with emphasis on farmers’ perception, adoption of improved soybean production technologies, determinants of productivity, and constraints affecting project implementation.

A multistage sampling procedure involving purposive, proportionate, and random sampling techniques was employed in selecting 150 soybean farmers participating in the USAID MARKETS II project across eight participating Local Government Areas of Benue State. Primary data were collected using a structured interview schedule and analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and factor analysis.

Findings revealed that the majority of project participants were male, middle-aged, and experienced farmers with relatively large household sizes. Most respondents acquired farmland through inheritance and depended largely on open markets for the purchase of agricultural inputs despite the intervention framework designed to facilitate easier access to subsidized inputs. Although improved soybean varieties and agronomic technologies introduced under the project were widely adopted, farmers experienced limited extension contact, unstable market arrangements, and inadequate institutional support. The study further established that variables such as extension contact, membership of farmers’ cooperatives, farm size, fertilizer application, educational level, and farming experience significantly influenced technology adoption, output, and yield among the respondents.

The major constraints affecting the effectiveness of the project were grouped into economic, institutional, and linkage-related challenges, including poor access to affordable inputs, weak extension delivery systems, inadequate monitoring, unstable produce markets, and insufficient stakeholder collaboration. The study concludes that while the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project contributed positively to soybean technology dissemination and awareness creation, the sustainability and impact of the programme were undermined by structural and implementation-related limitations.

The study recommends increased government participation in donor-supported agricultural interventions, strengthening of extension services, improved access to subsidized farm inputs, effective market linkage mechanisms, and regular monitoring and evaluation of agricultural projects to ensure long-term sustainability and improved farmer productivity.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors of the Nigerian economy, contributing significantly to employment generation, food production, industrial raw materials, and rural development. Despite the increasing diversification of Nigeria’s economy, agriculture continues to sustain a large proportion of the population, particularly in rural communities where farming constitutes the primary source of livelihood (Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], 2021). Within the agricultural sector, soybean production has emerged as a strategic subsector due to its nutritional, economic, and industrial importance.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a highly valuable leguminous crop recognized globally for its high protein and oil content. It serves as a major source of food for humans, feed for livestock, and raw material for agro-industrial processing. Soybean products are widely utilized in the production of vegetable oil, flour, beverages, animal feed, and several industrial products. According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA, 2020), soybean contributes substantially to household nutrition, soil fertility improvement through nitrogen fixation, and income generation among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria is currently one of the leading producers of soybean in Africa, with Benue State often described as the “food basket of the nation” because of its comparative advantage in crop production, including soybean cultivation. The favourable climatic conditions, fertile soils, and active farming population in Benue State provide enormous opportunities for soybean production and commercialization. However, despite the production potential, soybean productivity among smallholder farmers remains relatively low due to poor access to improved technologies, inadequate extension services, limited access to credit facilities, poor market structures, and weak institutional support systems (National Bureau of Statistics [NBS], 2022).

In response to the productivity challenges confronting agricultural development in Nigeria, several agricultural intervention programmes and donor-supported projects have been introduced by government agencies and international development organizations. One of such interventions is the United States Agency for International Development Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites II (USAID MARKETS II) Project. The programme was designed to promote agricultural commercialization, increase farmers’ productivity, strengthen value chains, and improve market access for selected agricultural commodities, including soybean.

The USAID MARKETS II project focused on improving farmers’ access to modern agricultural technologies, quality seeds, fertilizer application techniques, extension services, agronomic best practices, and profitable market opportunities. The project also emphasized the formation and strengthening of farmers’ cooperatives to facilitate collective action, input acquisition, and market integration. In Benue State, the project introduced improved soybean varieties such as TGX 1448-2E and promoted climate-smart agronomic practices aimed at improving productivity and farmers’ income.

Development scholars have consistently argued that the effectiveness of agricultural intervention programmes depends largely on farmers’ perception, level of participation, adoption behaviour, institutional support, and sustainability mechanisms embedded within such projects (Rogers, 2003; World Bank, 2020). Although the USAID MARKETS II project recorded successes in technology dissemination and awareness creation, concerns remain regarding the extent to which the programme achieved its objectives among rural soybean farmers in Benue State.

Evidence from previous agricultural interventions in Nigeria indicates that many projects fail to achieve sustainable outcomes due to poor implementation strategies, inadequate farmer participation, weak extension delivery systems, poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, policy inconsistency, and insufficient stakeholder collaboration (Adebayo & Olagunju, 2015). Similarly, the inability of participating farmers to access affordable inputs and guaranteed produce markets often undermines the expected impact of intervention programmes.

Against this backdrop, there is a growing need to critically assess the implementation and effectiveness of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State. Such assessment is important in understanding farmers’ experiences, identifying the factors influencing technology adoption and productivity, and providing empirical evidence for improving future agricultural intervention programmes in Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Over the years, several agricultural development programmes have been implemented in Nigeria with the objective of improving food production, enhancing rural livelihoods, reducing poverty, and promoting agricultural commercialization. Despite these efforts, agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers has remained below expectation, particularly in the area of soybean production. The persistent low productivity has been attributed to numerous challenges, including poor access to improved technologies, inadequate extension support, weak institutional frameworks, limited access to credit facilities, and poor market integration.

The USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project was introduced to address some of these challenges through the dissemination of improved soybean production technologies, capacity building, market linkage facilitation, and strengthening of farmers’ organizations. The project aimed at improving soybean productivity, increasing farmers’ income, and enhancing agricultural value chain development in participating communities.

However, observations and empirical evidence suggest that many farmers participating in the project continued to experience difficulties in accessing agricultural inputs at subsidized rates, receiving adequate extension services, and benefiting from stable market arrangements. In several instances, farmers reportedly purchased farm inputs from open markets at high prices, contrary to the objectives of the intervention programme. Similarly, produce marketing arrangements between participating farmers and designated off-takers were not effectively sustained, thereby exposing farmers to fluctuating market prices and exploitation by middlemen.

Furthermore, although improved soybean technologies were introduced under the project, the level of adoption and sustained utilization among farmers remains uncertain. There is also inadequate empirical information regarding farmers’ perception of the project, the effectiveness of implementation strategies, and the specific factors influencing output and productivity among project beneficiaries.

Many previous studies on agricultural interventions in Nigeria focused mainly on programme implementation without adequately evaluating farmers’ experiences, adoption behaviour, productivity outcomes, and implementation constraints from the beneficiaries’ perspective. Consequently, there is limited evidence on the actual performance and sustainability of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State.

It is therefore necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the project to determine its effectiveness, identify factors influencing technology adoption and productivity, examine the challenges confronting beneficiaries, and provide recommendations for improving future agricultural intervention programmes. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by assessing the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State, Nigeria.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The broad objective of this study was to assess the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State, Nigeria.

The specific objectives were to:

examine the socio-economic characteristics of soybean farmers participating in the USAID MARKETS II project;

assess farmers’ perception of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project;

determine the level of adoption of soybean production technologies introduced under the project;

identify factors influencing the adoption of USAID MARKETS II soybean production technologies among farmers;

examine factors influencing soybean output and yield among project participants;

identify the major constraints affecting the success of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project; and

suggest strategies for improving the effectiveness and sustainability of agricultural intervention projects in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

The study sought answers to the following research questions:

What are the socio-economic characteristics of farmers participating in the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project?

What are farmers’ perceptions of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project?

To what extent have farmers adopted the soybean production technologies introduced under the project?

What factors influence the adoption of soybean production technologies among project participants?

What factors influence soybean output and yield among participating farmers?

What constraints hinder the effective implementation of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project?

What strategies can enhance the performance and sustainability of similar agricultural intervention programmes?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested in the study:

H01: There is no significant relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of farmers and the adoption of USAID MARKETS II soybean production technologies.

H02: Socio-economic and institutional variables do not significantly influence soybean output among project participants.

H03: Socio-economic and institutional variables do not significantly influence soybean yield among project participants.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be beneficial to policymakers, agricultural development agencies, extension organizations, donor institutions, researchers, and soybean farmers.

The study will provide policymakers with empirical evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of donor-funded agricultural intervention programmes, thereby assisting in the formulation of effective agricultural policies and rural development strategies. The findings will also guide government agencies in designing sustainable agricultural programmes capable of addressing farmers’ needs and improving productivity.

Development partners and donor organizations such as USAID, the World Bank, and other international agencies will benefit from the study through insights into the implementation challenges and sustainability issues associated with agricultural intervention projects. This will assist in improving future programme design, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks.

Agricultural extension organizations will find the study useful in understanding the role of extension contact and institutional support in influencing technology adoption among farmers. The findings will further highlight the importance of effective farmer education and participatory extension approaches in agricultural development.

Soybean farmers and farmers’ cooperatives will benefit from the recommendations of the study, particularly regarding improved access to agricultural inputs, extension services, market opportunities, and institutional support systems.

The study will also contribute to academic literature on agricultural development programmes, technology adoption, and rural livelihood improvement in Nigeria. It will serve as a valuable reference material for students, scholars, and researchers interested in agricultural extension, rural sociology, development studies, and agricultural economics.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focused on the assessment of the USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue State, Nigeria. The study specifically examined farmers’ perception of the project, adoption of soybean production technologies, factors influencing productivity, and constraints affecting project implementation among participating soybean farmers in selected Local Government Areas of the state.

References

Adebayo, O. O., & Olagunju, K. O. (2015). Determinants of agricultural technology adoption in Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 7(5), 123–131.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2021). Nigeria agricultural sector review report. Rome: FAO.

Heuzé, V., & Tran, G. (2015). Soybean meal. Feedipedia: Animal Feed Resources Information System.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). (2020). Soybean production and utilization in Nigeria. Ibadan: IITA.

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2022). Annual agricultural performance report. Abuja: NBS.

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.

World Bank. (2020). Agricultural transformation and rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington DC: World Bank.

USAID MARKETS II. (2014). Project implementation and value chain development report. Abuja: USAID.