ABSTRACT
The focus of this study was to analyze the Impact of the Commercial Agricultural Development Project on Productivity and Food Security Status of Maize Farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multistage-sampling technique was used for this study. First stage, two (2) villages were purposively selected from each of the four (4) zones in the state, in the second stage 25% of the respondents from the participants and 25% of the non-participants of the commercial agricultural project from the list of maize farmers were randomly selected to give a total of 230 respondents. The data collected was based on 2013 cropping season and were collected through the use of a structured questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage and mean, logit regression analysis and Z-test statistical tools. Results of data analysis revealed that the mean ages of maize farmers‟ participants and non- participants were 40 and 41 years respectively. About (46%) and approximately 52% of the participants and non- participants had between 10-17 years of farming experience respectively, while majority (78%) and approximately (66%) of maize farmers‟ participants and non- participants did have some formal educational qualification especially primary, secondary and tertiary. It was found that the major avenue through which maize farmer get to know about commercial agricultural project was through extension agents, this constitutes 69 of participants. The results from the logit regression analysis revealed that sex, marital status, farm size, membership of association, level of awareness and access to inputs were the factors influencing the farmers‟ participation (74.5%) in the commercial agricultural development project in the study area at 1% level of significance. The results from analysis revealed that the productivity of participants in commercial agriculture development project is significantly difference from that of the non-participant counterparts at 1% level of significance and also, the commercial agriculture development project had a positive impact on the productivity of the participants of (385.86kg/ha). From the food security profile, it was found that the participants had a lower food insecurity level than the non-participants. Finally, lack of starting capital was ranked by maize farmers‟ participants as foremost constraints faced in their participation in the commercial agricultural development project in the study area. Since cooperative societies and banks cannot provide the entire needed fund for the production of maize, it was therefore, recommended that farmers should be encouraged to diversify their livelihood activities by engaging in non-farming activities in order to augment farm family income and thereby increase productivity
