ABSTRACT

This study examined the effectiveness of Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socioeconomic profile of the respondents, identified the conditions for accessing GESS input, level of acquisition of GESS input, ascertained the respondents’ perception of the scheme, the perceived effectiveness of GESS and identified the constraints of GESS in the study area. The study made use of multi-stage random sampling techniques in selecting one hundred and ninety two (192) respondents in the study area (96 in Abia and 96 in Imo States). Data for the study were collected using structured questionnaire and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The major findings showed that 75.0% of the respondents in Abia and 71.9% in Imo were males, 53.1% in Imo and 35.4% in Abia had tertiary education, 91.7% in Abia and 84.4% in Imo were married, had mean age of 51 years in Abia and 49.4 years in Imo, mean household size of 6.7 persons in Imo and 5.2 persons in Abia, mean farming experience of 20.5 years in Imo and 18.5years in Abia, mean farm size of 2.2 hectares in Imo and 1.9 hectares in Abia, 84.4% in Imo and 42.7% in Abia were members of co-operative societies, and about 81.3% in Imo and 63.5% in Abia had contacts with extension agents. The grand mean of 3.82 in Imo and 3.50 in Abia indicated the respondents had positive perception of GESS in the study area. Again, the grand mean of 2.78 in Imo and 2.59 in Abia showed that the respondents perceived that GESS was effective in the study area. The result further revealed that 100% of the respondents in Abia and Imo States registered for GESS and had identity cards for accessing inputs. The result equally showed that 77.1% in Imo and 71.9% in Abia acquired fertilizers, 83.3% in Abia and 78.1% in Imo acquired bags of rice, and 56.3% in Abia and 41.0% in Imo acquired bags of maize. The major constraints faced by GESS farmers were late arrival of inputs, inadequate quantity, inability to activate pin, poor network, non-receipt of pin and unpleasant attitude of Agro dealers. The results of Z-test analysis revealed that there were no significant difference in the effectiveness of GESS in Abia and Imo States. Again, Z – test analysis showed that there were a significant difference in the income of GESS participants in Imo and Abia at 1% alpha level. Logit regression result showed that age (5%), education (1%), farm size (1%), income (1%) and farming experience (5%) influenced access to GESS inputs in Abia and Imo states. The study concluded that GESS was effective in the study area due to timely distribution of inputs, availability of inputs, affordability, quantity and quality of inputs and accessibility of inputs. It is therefore recommended that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should work towards increasing the quantity of inputs supplied and distributed to farmers since 2 bags of fertilizers were barely enough for large scale farmers.