Impact of Quarrying on the Productivity of Smallholder Arable Crop Farmers in Ebonyi State Nigeria

This study examines the impact of quarrying on the productivity of smallholder arable crop farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Additionally, it determines Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and the factors influencing productivity. The study also explores the impact of quarrying on productivity. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 farmers (60 from quarrying and 60 from non-quarrying areas). Data were collected through structured questionnaires and oral interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, TFP formulae, multiple regression and Chow tests. Socioeconomic findings reveal that farmers in quarry areas are typically younger (mean age: 40 years) than those in non- quarry areas (42.5 years). They are predominantly male (73.3% and 61.7%) respectively and mostly have tertiary education. Their farm sizes are small (0.85–1.1 hectares), with most farmers having 1–7 years of experience and supporting households of 4–6 people. In terms of TFP, non-quarry farmers achieved a higher average TFP (1.719) than quarry farmers (1.450), with a large proportion in both areas (78.3% and 63.3%, respectively) registering TFP values between 1.000 and 1.999. Regression results further showed that credit, education, and extension contact were the most significant determinants of TFP, with credit showing positive impacts in both areas, education having a strong effect in non-quarry areas, and extension contact being stronger in quarry areas. Chow’s tests confirmed statistically significant differences in TFP levels (F=2.2669, p<0.05), slopes (F=2.2480, p<0.05), and intercepts (F=2.7581, p<0.01), indicating that quarrying adversely alters the relationship between inputs and outputs. The study concludes that small-scale farmers in quarrying areas face significant environmental degradation, affecting productivity. To address these challenges, recommended interventions include improving credit access, strengthening extension services, and enforcing stricter environmental regulations on quarrying to enhance both income and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers.