Economics of Rice Production in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

The study examined the rice farmer's productivity in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria; the objectives were to estimate profitability of rice farming in the study area and determine the socio economic factors affecting rice farmer's productivity. Primary data were used for this study with the aid of well-structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting rice farmers in the study area. Three major rice producing districts were purposely selected from the Local Government Area followed by the random selection of the villages from each districts. In all, 153 rice farmers were randomly selected from six village's. Gross margin analysis revealed that the production of rice is profitable with the gross margin of N216,576. The multiple regression estimates for determinant of productivity among rice farmers reveals that the coefficient of age, educational level and farm size were negatively significant at 1% level while the quantity of seed and fertilizer were positively significant at 5%. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are necessary for more sustainable rice production in the study area.