ABSTRACT

rice production and efficiency in the rice production in the study area. The study analyzed child labour use in rice production among farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described socio-economic characteristics ofrice farmers, ascertained levels ofparticipation of children in rice production and levels of utilization ofrice production activities among rice farmers, assessed perceived factors responsible for child labour use and identified constraints using child labour in rice production in the study area. Purposive and multistage sampling techniques were used to select 120 respondents. Data for the study were collected through a structured questionnaire and was substantiated with information gotten from Focus Group Discussion. The results were gotten using both descriptive (frequency counts, percentages and mean scores) and inferential statistics (multiple regression, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Tobit regression and Probit regression analyses). The major results showed that 54.2% of the respondents were males with mean age of 41.15years, mean household size of 8persons and mean farm size of 2.1hectares, mean annual farm income of N287,279.17, mean labour cost of N75,300 and mean rice output was 1494.19kg/ha. Results showed that the children had high participation on 3 point likert scale (X=2.1) and utilization (X=2.2) ofrice production activities in the study area. Result also indicates a positive (X=2.8) perceived factors among respondents on the use of child labour in rice production. The multiple regression result showed that coefficients for age (- 0.4803), education (0.0832), farm income (0.4946), farm size (0.71069) and household size (0.0842) influenced rice production. The result of Tobit regression showed that coefficients of education (0.0847), farm size (0.6171), extension contact (0.1171) and labour cost (- 0.0736) influenced rice production in the study area. The correlation results showed an indirect relationship between participation of children and rice production, cost of labour and utilization of children in rice production activities at 5% levels of probability respectively. The probit regression result showed that coefficients of site selection (-0.7338), tillage operations (-0.6498), harvesting (- 0.6498) and bird scaring (0.47477) influenced child labour use in rice production activities. Nature of the job, unavailability of children, formal education, unfavourable environmental conditions and related health problems and poor incentives were major constraints to child labour use in rice production. The study recommends provision of free and affordable education for the children, access to inputs at subsidized rates to increase : us