Journal article · 2022
Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems
Agricultural Research, 11(3), pp. 549–556 · Published (online first )
Summary
Strang et al. (2022) held a one-day focus group with 16 agricultural extension workers in Northeast Nigeria, in a qualitative constructivist grounded theory study, to document the ground-truth governance and operational problems facing rural farmers. The extension workers, representing about 900 rural farmers, identified six core failures of government support, among them input quality and dissemination, fair subsidization, training, market facilitation and corruption. More research is needed before the results can be generalized to national or international stakeholders.
Practical implication. For government, which the authors call the ‘keystone’ stakeholder, fixing the six core deficiencies in its support for rural farmers might mitigate other operational problems through natural market growth.
- The Problem
- Nigerian agricultural policy is designed far from the farm, and the ground-truth governance and operational problems facing rural farmers are rarely documented.
- The Methodology
- Qualitative constructivist grounded theory study: one-day focus group with 16 agricultural extension workers in Northeast Nigeria, member checking, and discourse analysis coded into thematic concept maps in NVivo.
- The Core Finding
- Extension workers representing about 900 rural farmers in Northeast Nigeria identified six core failures of government support: input quality and dissemination, fair subsidization, training, market facilitation, corruption and local security. Fake farm inputs, poor roads, insurgency-driven insecurity, and limited credit and land compound these problems.
- The Citation
- Strang, K. D., Che, F., & Vajjhala, N. R. (2022). Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems. Agricultural Research, 11(3), 549–556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2
The summary, key findings, methods, implications and relevance notes on this page are this website’s own description of the paper, written from the published abstract and text. The official abstract and citation details are given further down.
Key findings
- Finding 1. The study held a 1-day focus group with 16 agricultural extension workers in Northeast Nigeria, who together represented the perspectives of about 900 rural farmers from three local government areas.
- Finding 2. Rural farmers in Northeast Nigeria were found to have significant problems with government support in six core areas: farming input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, social responsibility to reduce corruption, and local security strengthening (listed as poverty in the abstract).
- Finding 3. Extension workers in the Nigerian study reported that corrupt politicians intercept government farm inputs, mix them with fake varieties and sell them, so the marketplace is flooded with fake seed and fertilizer that farmers cannot distinguish from genuine inputs.
- Finding 4. The Nigerian extension workers reported that poor roads and a lack of affordable transport leave rural farmers dependent on middlemen, and they recommended re-instituting farmers’ produce associations and cooperatives.
- Finding 5. Insecurity from the Boko Haram insurgency, including kidnapping risk and a government ban on motorbikes in local government areas such as Mubi North and Mubi South, has made it infeasible for farmers and extension workers to travel to distant markets and farms.
- Finding 6. The NVivo concept map of the Nigerian focus group data showed the most cross-referenced nodes were government support (credit, input dissemination, training, markets, infrastructure, land ownership, corruption), technology adoption, and socio-cultural issues including insecurity.
- Finding 7. The study found an insufficient number of qualified agricultural extension workers in Northeast Nigeria, with irregular or stopped incentives and allowances preventing them from maintaining demonstration plots.
Source: Strang et al. (2022), Agricultural Research, 11(3), pp. 549–556. DOI: 10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2
The study in detail
What question does this paper answer?
What are the ground-truth agricultural governance and operational problems facing rural farmers in Nigeria, as seen by the agricultural extension workers who mentor them?
What did the study find, in detail?
A grounded theory focus group with 16 agricultural extension workers in Northeast Nigeria found that rural farmers have significant problems with government support in six core areas: farming input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, social responsibility to reduce corruption, and poverty/local security. Farmers also face fake farm inputs, poor roads, insecurity from the Boko Haram insurgency, limited access to credit and land, and too few extension workers.
Why does it matter?
The authors argue the government is the ‘keystone’ stakeholder: if the six core deficiencies were fixed—for example making good-quality inputs fairly available with modern-methods training—other operational problems might be mitigated through natural market growth. They recommend funding farmers’ cooperative associations, strengthening security, eliminating corruption, prioritizing the agricultural extension system, and greater involvement of private businesses and NGOs.
This study is part of the evidence overview What is holding back Nigerian agriculture and farm technology adoption? Evidence from extension workers and farmer surveys
Methods and data
| Research question | What ground-truth policy insights underlie Nigeria’s agriculture crisis from the perspective of rural farm operations? |
|---|---|
| Design | Qualitative grounded theory (constructivist) study with a 1-day focus group and member checking. |
| Sample | 16 agricultural extension workers at a regional site in Northeast Nigeria, representing about 900 farmers from three local government areas. |
| Methods | Audio recording, transcription and discourse analysis coded into thematic concept maps using NVivo. |
| Main result | Rural farmers face significant problems with government support in six core areas, including input quality and dissemination, fair subsidization, training, market facilitation, and corruption. |
| Implication | Improved government social responsibility, security and anti-corruption measures, together with NGO assistance and farmer cooperatives, should start to resolve the crisis. |
| Citation | Strang et al. (2022) · DOI 10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2 |
Definitions and key terms
- Agricultural extension worker
- An experienced, well-educated farming mentor who works in the field and liaises with local government and value chain stakeholders to support rural farmers. — as used in Strang et al. (2022)
- Grounded theory
- A qualitative research method in which codes, themes and theory are developed inductively from the data rather than tested from prior hypotheses. — as used in Strang et al. (2022)
- Member checking
- A validation step in which participants review transcripts, codes and themes to confirm they reflect their meaning. — as used in Strang et al. (2022)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to uncover ground truth policy insights underlying the agriculture crisis from the perspectives of rural farm operations in Nigeria. The needs of rural farmers were otherwise not adequately reflected in national or regional economic development policies. The grounded theory formal method was applied using NVivo software. A focus group was conducted with 16 agricultural extension workers, who are an advanced category of educated experts acting as mentors to rural Nigerian farmers. Audio data were coded into thematic concept maps using discourse analysis. The findings of this study were generally consistent with the extant literature, but several different issues emerged. Rural farmers in Nigeria have significant agricultural challenges with government support in six core areas: farming input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, social responsibility to reduce corruption, and poverty.
Abstract as published in Agricultural Research.
Keywords: Nigeria; Agriculture governance; Poverty; Agricultural extension worker; Grounded theory; Focus group
Limitations and open questions
- The sample of 16 agricultural extension workers represented 900 farmers’ perspectives from three local government areas in Northeast Nigeria, so more research is needed before results can be generalized to national or international stakeholders.
- The grounded theory method focused on complex qualitative data; further studies using other methods, particularly quantitative surveys of rural farmers in other regions, are needed for triangulation.
Open questions
- Do the extension workers' priorities hold when rural farmers in other Nigerian regions are surveyed directly with quantitative methods?
- Which culturally adapted technology adoption models predict software use better than Western models in rural West Africa?
Open questions from the evidence overview Agriculture, food security and farm information systems.
Practical implications
- The authors argue that if the six core deficiencies in government support for rural farmers were fixed, for example by making good-quality inputs fairly available with modern-methods training, other operational problems might be mitigated through natural market growth.
- Private businesses and NGOs should be more involved, the authors recommend, alongside funding for farmers’ cooperative associations, stronger security, the elimination of corruption and priority for the agricultural extension system.
- For rural farmers whom poor roads and a lack of affordable transport leave dependent on middlemen, the extension workers recommended re-instituting farmers’ produce associations and cooperatives.
- Researchers need further studies using other methods, particularly quantitative surveys of rural farmers in other regions, to triangulate the findings of this grounded theory focus group.
Drawn from Strang et al. (2022), Agricultural Research, 11(3), pp. 549–556.
When this research may be relevant
This article may be relevant to researchers examining agricultural policy implementation and governance failures in Nigeria, smallholder farmer constraints in conflict-affected regions, the role of extension workers, corruption in input subsidy schemes, and grounded theory or focus group methods in agricultural development research.
Research topics addressed: agricultural policy; agriculture governance; Nigeria; Northeast Nigeria; rural farmers; smallholder farmers; agricultural extension workers; food security; corruption; Boko Haram insurgency; grounded theory; focus group; thematic analysis; NVivo
How to cite
- APA 7
- Strang, K. D., Che, F., & Vajjhala, N. R. (2022). Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems. Agricultural Research, 11(3), 549–556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2
- MLA 9
- Strang, Kenneth David, et al. “Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems.” Agricultural Research, vol. 11, no. 3, 2022, pp. 549–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2.
- IEEE
- K. D. Strang, F. Che, and N. R. Vajjhala, “Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems,” Agricultural Research, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 549–556, Sept. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2.
BibTeX
@article{strang2022agricultural,
title = {Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems},
author = {Strang, Kenneth David and Che, Ferdinand and Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao},
journal = {Agricultural Research},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {549--556},
year = {2022},
publisher = {Springer (on behalf of NAAS, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences)},
doi = {10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2}
}RIS
TY - JOUR TI - Thematic Analysis of Agricultural Government Policy and Operational Problems AU - Strang, Kenneth David AU - Che, Ferdinand AU - Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao JO - Agricultural Research PY - 2022 DA - 2022/09 VL - 11 IS - 3 SP - 549 EP - 556 PB - Springer (on behalf of NAAS, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences) SN - 2249-720X DO - 10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2 UR - https://www.narasimharao.net/research/agricultural-policy-rural-farmers-nigeria-thematic-analysis/ LA - en ER -
Links and files
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40003-021-00588-2
- This page as text: https://www.narasimharao.net/research/agricultural-policy-rural-farmers-nigeria-thematic-analysis/paper.md
- Permanent address of this page: https://www.narasimharao.net/research/agricultural-policy-rural-farmers-nigeria-thematic-analysis/
Related work
Related work: the literature this study cites
The study draws on literature reporting that Nigeria imports more wheat, rice and sugar than its farmers grow[1], that the bulk wheat import-to-export ratio is growing at an unsustainable 11% a year[2], and that food insecurity affected over 90 million citizens in 2017–2018[3]. Cited development reports describe dilapidated rural roads, failed Vision 20:2020 infrastructure projects, weak agricultural policy and poor coordination between levels of government[4]. Conflict research is cited for the effect of kidnapping and insecurity on farmer behaviour[5]. Cited EU work found younger and more educated farmers more likely to adopt precision agricultural technologies[6], but age and education were not significant in a separate survey of Nigerian farmers on farm management information systems (FMIS) (Vajjhala et al., 2021, Recent Developments in…).
- [1] Fawole, W.O. and Ozkan, B. (2018), “Food insecurity risks perception and management strategies among households: implications for zero hunger target in Nigeria”, New Medit, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 29-42,. https://doi.org/10.30682/nm1802c
- [2] Omeje, E.E., Arene, C.J. and Okpukpara, C.B. (2019), “Impact of agricultural protection on agricultural growth in Nigeria: political economy perspective (1980-2016)”, Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Vol. 22 No. 1, p. 41.
- [3] Olomola AS and Nwafor M (2018) Nigeria Agriculture Sector Performance Review. Lagos, Nigeria: Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER): International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
- [4] AfDB (2013), Federal Republic of Nigeria Country Strategy Paper 2013-2017, Africa Development Bank/Africa Development Fund (AfDB), Nairobi.
- [5] Adelaja, A., & George, J. (2019). Effects of conflict on agriculture: Evidence from the Boko Haram insurgency. World Development, 117, 184–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.01.010
- [6] Barnes AP et al (2018) Exploring the adoption of precision agricultural technologies: a cross regional study of EU farmers. Land Use Policy J 80(1):163–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.10.004
From the evidence overview What is holding back Nigerian agriculture and farm technology adoption? Evidence from extension workers and farmer surveys, which cites only works that appear in the studies’ own reference lists. This is a selection, not the full reference list of Strang et al. (2022).
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