CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Agriculture is the cultivation of soil, the growing of crops and the rearing of animals for human use. It has long been the main economic activity in Nigeria, and in Edo State in particular it supports the production of a wide variety of food and cash crops. Agriculture is commonly grouped into three systems: subsistence, commercial and plantation agriculture. Subsistence agriculture is practised on small plots of land with simple implements, and the farmer grows crops mainly for his own household. Commercial agriculture involves growing crops, and sometimes keeping livestock, for sale in order to earn a profit, including for export markets. Plantation agriculture is the large-scale cultivation of cash crops, such as cocoa, rubber, oil palm, cotton and coffee, on large areas of land. It has a long history and contributes to both regional and national economies.

Natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) is one of the most important plantation crops in Nigeria. It is a fast-growing, upright tropical tree cultivated mainly for its latex, the milky liquid from which natural rubber is made (Asogwa & Kingsley-Umana, 2021). The crop originated in South America and belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. The tree has a smooth, light grey trunk and alternate palmate leaves, each with three leaflets. Its flowers are monoecious and its fruits usually contain three seeds. Rubber grows best on well-drained soils in areas of high rainfall. The trees are tapped for latex once they have matured, which is usually at about six to seven years, when the trunk has reached the required girth. Tapping requires basic equipment such as collecting cups, cup hangers, spouts, a tapping knife and a sharpening stone. Rubber is grown in Edo State and other southern states of Nigeria, in places such as Iguorhiaki, Ehor and Irrua in Esan Central, Ologbo in Ikpoba-Okha, and in the Ovia South West area.

Natural rubber has many uses. It is used mainly for the manufacture of vehicle tyres and other automotive parts, and it is also used for items such as gloves, footwear, balloons, pillows and a range of industrial and household articles. Nigeria was the leading African producer of natural rubber in the early 1960s, but it now ranks second in Africa, with about 149,691 tons produced, which places it thirteenth in the world (Asogwa & Kingsley-Umana, 2021). Rubber was once one of the country's top foreign exchange earners, but the industry has declined as plantations have aged and policies have been weak (BusinessDay, 2025a). In 2023, Nigeria exported 39,168 tons of natural rubber worth 58 million dollars, which was 8.6% lower than in 2022 (BusinessDay, 2025a), and production has remained at roughly 149,000 metric tons between 2020 and 2022, leaving a large gap that is met through imports (BusinessDay, 2025b).

Several problems are reported to hold back the sector. The Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria cites poor funding, high input costs, insecurity, farm vandalism and difficulties in gaining access to land (BusinessDay, 2025a). Among rubber farmers in Edo State, access to agrochemicals and the information needed to use them is constrained by factors such as education and farm size, and credit is also limited, which has led researchers to call for low-interest loans or microfinance support to farmers (Osabuohein et al., 2022). At the same time, research continues to produce new planting materials. The Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria in Benin City has generated rubber genotypes through its breeding programme and has examined their genetic diversity and latex quality (Korieocha et al., 2023). These developments indicate both the problems and the prospects of rubber farming in Edo State, which this study investigates.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The main factors that hinder agricultural development in Nigeria, and in Edo State in particular, are:

• shortage of labour;
• inadequate marketing and storage facilities;
• the land tenure system;
• pests and diseases;
• climatic factors, such as inadequate rainfall; and
• limited access to credit, lack of capital and inadequate collateral security.

In rubber production specifically, ageing plantations, limited funds, high input costs and problems of land access have contributed to a decline in output and exports (BusinessDay, 2025a, 2025b). Farmers in Edo State also face limited access to credit and agrochemical information (Osabuohein et al., 2022). The extent to which these and other factors affect rubber farmers in the study area, and how they might be addressed, remains to be determined. This study therefore examines the problems of plantation agriculture in Edo State with special emphasis on rubber production.

1.3 Hypotheses

The following hypotheses guide the study:

1. The conservative attitude of rubber farmers hampers the growth of rubber production.
2. Inadequate finance leads to low productivity in rubber production in Edo State.
3. The land tenure system hampers the cultivation of plantation crops in Nigeria, specifically in Edo State.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to:

1. identify the problems of plantation agriculture in Edo State, with special emphasis on rubber production;
2. examine the importance of rubber production in Edo State;
3. analyse the harvesting, processing and sales methods of rubber in the study area;
4. draw conclusions and make recommendations for improving extension practices; and
5. propose solutions to the problems identified.

1.5 Research Questions

The following questions guide the research:

1. What are the problems of plantation agriculture in Edo State, with special emphasis on rubber production?
2. What is the importance of rubber production in Edo State?
3. What are the harvesting, processing and sales methods of rubber in the study area?
4. What recommendations can improve extension practices?

1.6 Scope of the Study

Many plantation crops are grown in Nigeria. This study is limited to the problems and prospects of rubber production. The area of interest is Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be significant in the following ways:

1. They will help farmers and other stakeholders to understand the problems associated with rubber production and how to handle them when they arise.
2. They will help rubber producers to improve their methods of farming.
3. They will raise awareness of improved rubber varieties, such as those being developed by the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (Korieocha et al., 2023).
4. They will help farmers to recognise new challenges in rubber production and to adapt to them.
5. They will raise awareness of the importance of rubber production to the state's economy.

1.8 Organization of the Work

This research work is organised into five chapters. Chapter one is the introduction. Chapter two reviews related literature on the subject. Chapter three describes the research methodology. Chapter four presents and analyses the data collected, and chapter five gives the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations.

References

Asogwa, E. U., & Kingsley-Umana, E. B. (2021). Natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) production and prospects for sustainable economic development in Africa. In P. A. Minang, L. A. Duguma, & M. van Noordwijk (Eds.), Tree commodities and resilient green economies in Africa (Chapter 10). World Agroforestry (ICRAF).

BusinessDay. (2025a). Aging rubber trees cost Nigeria N65bn opportunity. https://businessday.ng/pro/article/aging-rubber-trees-cost-nigeria-65bn-opportunity/

BusinessDay. (2025b). Rubber imports jump 106% as production stalls. https://businessday.ng/news/article/rubber-imports-jump-106-as-production-stalls/

Korieocha, J. N., Nwabueze, O. N., & Anokwuru, S. N. (2023). Morphological characterization and evaluation of Hevea brasiliensis for genetic diversity and latex quality attributes. In E. O. Nwaichi & F. O. Nduka (Eds.), Proceedings of the 6th Biennial International Conference of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World Nigeria (OWSD 2023) (Advances in Biological Sciences Research, Vol. 37). Atlantis Press.

Osabuohein, J. I., Ehigie, A. O., & Okoedo-Okojie, D. U. (2022). Awareness and constraints to agrochemicals sourcing and adoption among rubber farmers in Edo State. BIU Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 7(1), 96–104.