A Best-Bet System of Rice Intensification and Poverty Alleviation in Zamfara State, Nigeria: A Mixed Method Analysis

CONTEXT: Zamfara State is impoverished due to low agricultural productivity, inadequate infrastructure, and
insecurity. Research has explored System of Rice Intensification (SRI)’s agronomic benefits but not its monetary
and non-monetary advantages for rural households in the State.
OBJECTIVE: The study investigates the effectiveness of a best-bet SRI (BB-SRI) as a poverty alleviation strategy in
Zamfara State by utilizing Bakolori Irrigation Scheme as a case study. The study’s anticipated outcome is to
provide insights that inform policies and practices in the agricultural sector.
METHOD: A mixed-method approach, including survey and field experiment, was used to gather quantitative and
qualitative data from 300 rice farming households, consisting of both users and non-users of BB-SRI in the BIS,
Zamfara State. Foster-Greer-Thorbecke method with two poverty lines and a three-dimensional poverty index
with three poverty cutoffs were used to analyze monetary and non-monetary poverty, respectively, while three
impact parameters were estimated using two selection models.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Agriculture is a critical sector in the BIS area of Zamfara State, Nigeria, but limited
electricity and large household sizes pose challenges for productivity and food security. The BB-SRI farming..

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