Women in Agriculture-Introduced Agricultural Processing and Marketing Innovations: The Rural Income Dynamics in Enugu State

Abstract

This study examines women in agriculture-viewed agricultural processing and marketing innovations as affecting rural women’s income in Enugu State. Women’s participation in agricultural production can be seen across various subsectors: harvesting, processing, planting, weeding and marketing as well as live stocking. National Council on Agriculture in 1989in the ADPs created Women-In-Agriculture programe in Enugu State to mobilize women farmers and enhance their socio-economic status. However, the problem facing rural women farmers is the need to transform their agricultural enterprise from depending on traditional inputs with low productivity to one based on modern inputs with higher productivity? The objective of this study to determine the effect of adoption of Women-in-Agriculture(WIA) introduced agricultural processing and marketing innovation on the rural farmers’ income. This study adopts the social action theory. The researcher used descriptive survey method, the population of the study comprises of selected registered women farmers in Enugu State. Enugu state has membership strength of twelve thousand (12,000) members. The sample size was 300 members haven used the multi stage sampling technique. The result of the findings show that all innovative marketing and processing methods were effective yet positively affected farmers’ income, meaning a slight increase in income generation. Based on the findings it is recommended that WIA should embark on training and re-orientation programme so as to equip farmers with necessary tools to help adopt innovations timely.