AKSU Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
ISSN(Online): 2736-0040 ISSN(Print): 2695-1975
ISSN(Online): 2736-0040 ISSN(Print): 2695-1975
Abstract
Postharvest loss is a major contributing factor to food and income insecurity in Nigeria. Insects’
damage on cowpea reduces quantity and quality of grains with significant effect on domestic
consumption and market value. Use of innovative storage such as Purdue Improved Crop Storage
(PICS) technology can help improve storability and reduce the economic losses in stored cowpea.
However, there is limited empirical information on the welfare effect of PICS technology use. This
study therefore investigates the effect of PICS technology use on farmers’ income in Benue State,
Nigeria. Data collected from 120 cowpea farmers and their corresponding counterfactuals in 12
communities of Benue state were used for the study. Descriptive statistics, propensity score matching
and likert scale rating were used to analyse the data. The result reveal that majority of the
respondents were male and married with a mean age of over 50 years. The mean level of formal
education, and mean amount of credit accessed were 11.85 and 33,727.00 for the users and 8.97 and
22,575.00 for the non-users respectively. The result of the propensity score matching shows that use
of PICS technology significantly improves the income per adult equivalent of the users, with the
annual income for the treated higher than the population average. Damage by rodents, high cost, and
scarcity of PICS bags are the significant constraints farmers’ faces in use of PICS in the study area. It
is recommended that rural development policies should encourage uptake by sensitizing farmers on
the benefit of PICS use, while also providing regular support such as subsidy and credit access as
well as enabling environment to ease scarcity and ensure regular supply of PICS technology.