Perceived Effect of Fuel Hike on Agricultural Production Among Arable Crop Farmers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria

The study examined the perceived effect of fuel hike on agricultural production among arable crop farmers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study employed a multi-stage sampling process to choose 120 respondents. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect the data, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Three objectives were developed for the study and one hypothesis was tested. Findings from the study revealed that the major factors contributing to fuel hike in the study area were unstable economy (=4.33), government taxes (= 4.14), overreliance on fuel (= 4.10) and hoarding of fuel ( =4.08). Consequently, the farmers perceived that fuel hike had led to a reduction in their profit margins ( =4.03), increased their production cost (=3.74), caused limited access to farm inputs and services ( =3.53) and negatively impacted their farming practices ( =3.48).