Farm – Level Determinants of Agricultural Commercialization

The study examined the increasing commercialization of subsistence agriculture and identified the driving forces of the commercialization process. The study defined some concepts under which the process of agricultural commercialization was examined. The study was conducted in the three agricultural zones of Abia state, Nigeria. A total of 120 farm families spread across the state were enlisted for the study. Data were collected bimonthly for a period of six months with structured questionnaires. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and quantitative techniques. Results show that agriculture is not subsistence oriented. There is some considerable degree of market-orientation. Off- farm income was identified as important source of the commercialization of agriculture. The farm-level determinants of commercialization were labour, fertilizer and planting materials. The production elasticity of labour is high and there are diseconomies of scale. The study observes that the full potentials of agriculture have not been harnessed as agriculture is labour intensive and relies heavily on crude implements.