Perceived Impact of OLAM Farming Enterprises on Rural Farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study identified Perceived impact of OLAM farming enterprises on rural farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Two research objectives guided the study, and two research questions were raised. The paper employed a descriptive cross-sectional research survey design because data were collected from a population of 506 registered farmers using a structured questionnaire titled 'OLAM Farming Enterprises on rural farmers Questionnaire (OFERFQ). Purposive and Simple random sampling techniques were used for the study and analysed using descriptive statistics such as Mean, Frequency and Percentages. The findings revealed that OLAM impacted positively on income generation among rural farmers in the study area through its agricultural extension agents by training rural farmers on technologically driven agriculture for improved income generation and through its partnership with rural farmers, such as input distribution and repurchase of the output from farmers to avoid waste. OLAM was providing market access to rural farmers in its host rural communities, and OLAM was impacting positively on sales and marketing of farm produce among rural farmers in the study area by buying farm outputs from rural farmers during harvest at competitive prices. The findings also revealed that the agricultural company was not into feeder road construction within its host communities for an enhanced transportation system. It was concluded that OLAM farming enterprises were impacting positively on income generation and sales and marketing of farm produce among rural farmers in the study area but were not opening and developing their host rural communities through feeder road construction. It was recommended that OLAM farming enterprises should take their Corporate Social Responsibilities to their host rural communities seriously, and the Nasarawa state government should persuade OLAM farming enterprise’s managers to give back to their host rural communities in the study area by initiating feeder road construction for an enhanced transportation system.