INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The issue of aging among farmers is one fundamental challenges facing agricultural development in many regions of the world. The greater statistics shows that a significant number of people engaged in agriculture are older people and some are getting older. Consequently, agriculture is facing an aging workforce .Therefore, there are agitations as who are the people that will replace the significant aged workforce in the agricultural sector. Many young people do not like taking to agriculture but incidentally they constitute that part of the workforce that can be actively productive as young people tend to be more productive in agriculture than older men due to physical exertion in agricultural activities. Tang and MacLeod posit that labor force aging has a negative direct impact on the growth and productivity of agricultural activities. Therefore, there is a concern if the older population will continue to be agricultural development or not due to aging problem and the effect it will have on agricultural development. In Nigeria, the youth are not willing to embark on agriculture making difficult for older people to retard from agriculture. It is therefore imperative that research be conducted to determine the effect of old age will have on agriculture and on agricultural output. The study seek to determine the effect of farmers age categories on arable crop production in Benue State
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigeria, one of the challenges facing agriculture is the growing number of older people engaged in agriculture, and the fact that young people are not willing to engage in agriculture. This situation do not mean well for the growth and development of agriculture in Nigeria. This challenge has implications for food security since most farmers are engaged in traditional farming without modern tools. The Nigerian agriculture is still labour intensive with great implication on aging among a larger segment of farmers. The problem confronting the study is to appraise the effect of farmers’ age categories on arable crop production in Benue State.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The Main Objective of the study is to proffer an appraisal of the effect of farmers age categories on arable crop production in Benue state; The specific objectives include
1 To determine the relevance of farmers age categories in Nigeria.
2 To determine the importance of arable crop production.
3 To determine the effect of farmers categories on arable crop production in Benue state
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1 What is the relevance of farmers age categories in Nigeria?
2 What is the importance of arable crop production?
3 What is the effect of farmers age categories on arable crop production in Benue state?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study seek to draw the attention of the government and other stakeholder on the need to create an enabling environment which will motivate the young people to go into farming as the aging population increases and may wear out over time due to physical exertions on agricultural activities.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study proffers an assessment of the effect of farmers’ age categories on arable crop production in Benue state.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUIDY
The study was confronted with logistics and geographical factors
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEFINED
This is the development aimed at the poor in the rural areas.It involves the provision of good living standard for the people in rural areas.
ARABLE FARMING DEFINED
Agricultural activity which involves growing crops such as wheat and barley rather than keeping animals or growing fruit and vegetables.
AGING DEFINED
The process of getting older, which is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.
AGRICULTURE DEFINED
The practice of soil cultivation , crop production, raising livestock and marketing the production output.
