Tractor Owner-Operators in Nigeria: Insights from a Small Survey in Kaduna and Nasarawa States

摘要: Agricultural mechanization is integral to agricultural transformation in countries like Nigeria. Despite the perceived rise farm labor costs, most farmers still rely on manual or draught animals for farming activities, and tractor users are limited. In Nigeria, private owners, rather than government hiring service units, provide a majority of plowing service. Unlike other more scale-neutral inputs, such as fertilizer improved seeds, significant economies scale may exist tractors, which justify certain public interventions. Understanding characteristics providers therefore essential designing an appropriate policy. However, information regarding nature provisions scarce, especially This paper presents results small survey owner-operators conducted Kaduna Nasarawa states Following key findings from simple descriptive statistics: (1) who buy tractors market individuals efficient those receive through programs, providing services greater area at lower including during off-peak season; (2) access wider range horsepowers improve efficiency over diverse soil types; (3) similar some Asian 1980s, operations mostly concentrated interviewees’ local home districts, though fraction form groups serve distant locations earn revenues. concludes with discussion policy implications.