Agricultural Development Programmes and Reduction of Rice Importation In Nigeria: An Evaluation of the Contribution of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme in Katsina State

Abstract

This study is conducted to evaluate the impact of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme on rice production in Katsina State.  Specifically, it is aimed at evaluating the impact of the Programme on reducing the importation of rice in Katsina State.  The study uses survey design where multi-sampling techniques are used in selecting 351 beneficiaries of the programme from both dry and wet season rice farmers in the State. Using Spearman’s Rank ordered correlation as statistical tests, the study’s findings indicates that the programme’s contributions towards reducing the importation of rice are not worthy of notice, which resulted in not having much impact on addressing the high level of rice importation into the country in general and the State in particular.  it is based on this that the study recommended among others that the policy-makers should conduct a thorough study on the previous agricultural policies to know the problems and challenges faced by them in order to come up with a programme with very minimal challenges that is capable of achieving what the previous ones failed to achieve, and that government should ensure that budget for agricultural programmes is increased to ensure that more farmers are included in the programmes for the desired results of reducing the importation of food items, especially rice that is regarded by many Nigerians as staple food, be achieved.