000			01837nam a22001457a 4500
999			_c524162 _d524162
008			231030b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aBegho, Toritseju and Begho, Mary Omokhose _945379
245			_aThe occupation of last resort: Determinants of farming choices of small farmers in Nigeria
260			_aInternational Journal of Rural Management
300			_a19(2), Aug, 2023: p.298-318
520			_aIn Nigeria, there is a stigma associated with small farming. There is also the assumption that farming is the occupation of last resort. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support or dispute these assertions. We examine data from 2,446 small farmers intending to find the answer to some lingering questions. Are farmers in the occupation out of choice or a lack of options? Are farmers generally satisfied with their jobs? Do most farmers have the intention to quit? Contrary to postulations that farming in Nigeria is the occupation of last resort, we find that Nigerian farmers choose to farm and take pride in their job. Notably, 67% have been farming for over 10 years, and 89% intend to continue. The logit regression suggests that job satisfaction, age, education and livestock ownership influence farmers’ intent to quit. We conclude that the government needs to make agriculture more attractive for younger and more educated farmers. This may be achieved through policies and interventions that prioritise improving rural infrastructure, address volatility, limit market fluctuations, remove barriers to markets for local farmers and facilitate the agricultural value chain so that agriculture can thrive as a business. – Reproduced https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09730052221091343
773			_aInternational Journal of Rural Management
906			_aFARMERS
942			_cAR