Relative Difficulties Experienced By Farmers in Obtaining Agricultural Production Inputs in Abia and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria

The investing was undertaken to determine the relative difficulties encountered by farmers in securing selected production inputs in Abia and Akwa-Ibom States, Nigeria. Two-hundred and eighty farmers selected through multi-stage sampling procedure comprised the sample. Interviewed schedule that employed a 4-point rating scale was administered to elicit information about relative difficulties experienced by farmers in obtaining required quantities, timely supply and cost of production inputs. The results indicate that farmers had the greatest difficulties in obtaining required quantities of fungicides/herbicides, fertilizer, livestock and fishery inputs. The greatest difficulties were experienced with regards to timely supply of fertilizer, fishery, fungicides/herbicides and livestock inputs in that order of decreasing intensity. Farmers cited fishery inputs as the costliest, followed by fertilizer, fungicides/herbicides and livestock inputs. On the other hand, farmers experienced minimum difficulties with adequate supply, timely supply and cost of agro processing, agro foresting and improved seeds. The paper suggests strategies for alleviating the constraints faced by farmers.