Comparative Analysis of the Contributions of Men and Women to Farming Decisions among Rice Producing Households in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the contributions of men and women to farming decisions among rice producing households in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select 120 rice producing families. Husband and wife involved in rice production as a unit were interviewed and data were collected using questionnaire. Collected data were analysed with mean, standard deviation, chart and z-test. The result showed that the mean contribution of men in pre-harvest decisions (x? =3.54 ± 0.18) was higher than that of women (x? =2.43 ± 0.24). On the other hand, the mean contribution of men in decision-making in post-harvest activities (x? =2.54 ± 0.48) was relatively low compared to that of women (x? =3.47 ± 0.16). There was a significant difference in the level of contributions of men and women to decision-making in pre- and post-harvest activities. Improved commitment to helping farmers gain more access to farm-related information to make informed decisions about their farming business is recommended.

Keywords

• gender, decision making, rice, farm households, ebonyi state