Abstract:

Following the continuous scarcity of farm labour in some farming communities in southern region of Nigeria, the study primarily identified factors that influence farm labour use and its productivity. The study was conducted in Akwa Ibom State in the southern region of Nigeria. A total of two hundred (200) cassava-based farmers were randomly sampled using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive, multinomial Logit and Tobit models were employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed hired labour, family and group labour as the primary sources of labour for the small-scale farmers, with family labour being slightly dominant. Also, farmers’ age, educational attainment, farm size, farm income, non-farm income, farming experience and access to farm credit were identified as factors that increase the probability of farmers adopting hired labour relative to group labour. Similarly, farmers' household size and marital status were found to increase the probability of using family labour relative to the group labour. The positive determinants of labour productivity were farmers' age, education, social capital, farm income, sex, access to farm credit and agricultural extension services; whereas farm size and farming experience were negative determinants. It is strongly recommended that farmers’ formal education, farm income, farm credit, access to extension services and social capital formation should be prioritized during policy formulation aimed at enhancing labour access and productivity among small-scale farmers

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