This paper was designed to assess the state and effects of transportation facilities on agricultural development of rural farmers in Moro Local Government Areas of Kwara State. The study made use of structured interview schedules to collect data from 150 farmers by means of four-stage random sampling technique. Analytical tools used include Pearson Product moment correlation and Kruskalwallis ranking. Findings show that mode of transportation in the study area is mostly through headporterage and to a short distance, limiting number of produce that are hulled to the market with little income realized. Motor-cycles are used by some farmers while pick-up vans and small trucks are equally used with huge amount of transport money during haulage. Perishable crops like tomatoes, okra, pepper and yams get damaged in the course of transporting as a result of excessive heat and poor winding and bending roads resulting in loss of quality and reduction in farmers' income; eventually discouraging farmers in expanding his farm size the next growing season. Furthermore, the study found that about 60% of the farmers sell produce at farm gates as a result of high cost of transportation. While constraints in using transportation facilities such as road seasonality, cost of transportation and number of vehicles plying the road with mean of 589.66, 536.46 and 501.50 ranked first, second and third respectively. About 64.7% agreed that these constraints affect their accessibility to agricultural facilities. This has a long devastating effect on agricultural development of the study area. To improve transportation facilities in the area, there is need for rural infrastructural development and need to revive the rail-road system of transportation in rural areas.
This study examines the analysis of yam storage strategy to promote food security in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Data was collected from 110 respondents, using wellstructured interviews schedule. The data was analysed using frequency distribution, percentages, means and probit model to test for significance. The study found that barn (47.3%) and indigenous plant materials (27.3%) were the common storage strategy used which are not capable of ensuring good storage for yam produce till off season. Probit model analysis revealed that the selected personal characteristics had significant (p<0.05) influence on farmer's choice of strategy used. Deterioration of yam that reduces its quality (mean score 2.01) has also been the leading problem faced in marketing yam produce. It was concluded that these are one of the major reasons for food insecurity among farmers in the study area. It was recommended that farmers should be provided with information regarding improved storage strategies as well as exposed to training on their use.
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