Impact of Nigeria Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) on the Productivity of Smallholder Oil Palm Farmers in Edo State

The Nigeria Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) was implemented between 2016 and 2020 with the goal of increasing agricultural productivity and income for smallholder farmers. This study evaluated the impact of the APP on the productivity of smallholder oil palm farmers in Edo State. A total of 165 oil palm farmers from 11 local government areas (LGAs) in three (3) senatorial districts in Edo State were surveyed using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicate that the APP was effective in improving the productivity of oil palm farmers in terms of technology adoption and yield/output performance. Additionally, the study found that the policy increased the income of smallholder oil palm farmers by 56.9% from NGN383,314.39 in 2015 to NGN597,392.17 in 2022. The study identified some limitations of the APP, such as the lack of regular training or skill development programs for farmers and the limited access to loan facilities to acquire more efficient oil palm production kits and machinery. The findings of this study have important implications for the future development of agricultural policies in Nigeria. The APP has shown to be an effective policy in improving the productivity of smallholder oil palm farmers.