LAND TENURE SYSTEM, FARM SIZE, INNOVATION AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

This study examined land tenure systems, farm sizes, agricultural productivity and innovation in Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically the study examined the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, estimated the farm size of the farmers, identified reasons for not practicing mechanized farming, identified different innovations available to the farmers and identified the factors that affected agricultural productivity . Five communities were chosen randomly and from each of these communities, twenty farmers were randomly chosen. Data were collected, collated and analyzed using relevant techniques such as means, percentages, frequency distribution and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that 85% of the respondents practiced individual land tenure system alone. It was also revealed that the laws of inheritance and increase in population led to the subdivision and fragmentation of existing farmland in such a manner that the sizes of farm holdings discouraged agricultural commercialization. Also, it was found that fragmentation led to a great distance between the plot which increased the waste in man-hour and energy. It was also shown that mechanization of agriculture was impracticable under land fragmentation and adoption of modern innovation was reduced since just 35.0% of the respondents claimed to have adopted other forms of innovation. Lastly, the null hypothesis was rejected concluding that socio-economic factors affected the farmer’s productivity in the area. It was recommended that formation of cooperatives by farmers is an imperative in farm land consolidation of the scattered farm holdings into economic size to encourage large scale operation and bulk input sourcing and procurement