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ENHANCING OUTCOMES IN PRODUCTION CONSTRAINTS AMONG THE JICA
SMALLHOLDERS HORTICULTURE EMPOWERMENT PROMOTION (SHEP) PROJECT
IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY AND NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA.
Author(s): Tambul, H. B., Luka, E.G., Ejembi, E. P., Gomina, A.
Volume/Issue: Volume 6 , Issue 1(2026)
ABSTRACT:
This study examined the outcomes and produc on constraints among smallholder farmers par cipa ng in the Japan Interna onal Coopera on Agency (JICA) Smallholder Hor culture Empowerment and Promo on (SHEP) project in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study assessed farmers’ income levels before and a er par cipa on in the SHEP project, iden fied factors influencing income changes among beneficiaries, and examined the constraints faced by par cipa ng farmers. A mul-stage sampling procedure was used to select 270 beneficiary farmers from nine SHEP communi es across the study area. Primary data were collected using structured ques onnaires and analyzed using descrip ve sta s cs, paired sample t-test, Likert scale, and binary logis c regression model. The result showed that the majority of the respondents were male (67.4%), married (83.3%), and within the ac ve age group, with a mean age of 49.2 years. The average household size and farm size were 8 persons and 1.7 hectares, respec vely, while most farmers had between 6 and 10 years of par cipa on in the SHEP programme. The mean annual income of farmers increased significantly from ₦603,570.37 before par cipa on to ₦961,814.81 a er par cipa on, represen ng an increase of about 59.3% (p < 0.001). The binary logis c regression result revealed that age, years of par cipa on in SHEP, farm size, and market access significantly influenced income improvement among beneficiary farmers. The major constraints faced by farmers included high cost of farm inputs, high labour cost, pests and diseases, climate change effects, and inadequate infrastructure. The study concludes that the SHEP project contributed posi vely to improving farmers’ income through market-oriented agricultural prac ces. The study recommends strengthening SHEP training ac vi es, improving rural market infrastructure, and enhancing farmers’ access to affordable farm inputs and credit facili es to sustain income gains among beneficiary farmers.
KEYWORDS:
Income, Hor culture, Market, Farmers, Constraints, SHEP
