Understanding the determinants of pepper production (Capsicum annuum L.) in Niger: Insights into local agricultural dynamics
Paper Details
Understanding the determinants of pepper production (Capsicum annuum L.) in Niger: Insights into local agricultural dynamics
Abstract
A study on the determinants of bell pepper production was carried out in Niger, based on surveys of 338 producers in 6 regions of the country. The aim was to identify and understand the factors influencing production of this crop. Farmer’s family sizes ranged from 1 to 52, with an average of 12 people. The producers average age of 43 years. Average plot size varies between 0.0015 ha and 8 ha. Almost all farmers are men, and a large proportion of producers in rural areas have no access to formal education. Three cropping systems (monoculture, intercropping and rotation) are practiced. Community seeds are the main source of this input at 67.66%. Soil preparation is rudimentary (81.01%), with two types of seeding preponderated: broadcast (50.15%) and row (49.85%). Furrow irrigation is the most widely traditional technique used at 89.91%. Most bell pepper growers combine mineral and organic fertilization. Harvests are mainly done by hand (98%) and are intended by 48.7% for fresh sale and 51.3% for drying.
Abdulkadir A, Leffelaar PA, Agbenin JO, Giller KE. 2013. Nutrient flows and balances in urban and peri-urban agroecosystems of Kano, Nigeria. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 95, 231–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-013-9560-2
Aggelopoulos S, Arabatzis G. 2010. European Union young farmers program: a Greek case study. New Medit 9, 50–55.
Ali D, Bowen D, Deininger K, Duponchel M. 2016. Investigating the gender gap in agricultural productivity: evidence from Uganda. World Development 87, 152–170.
Amichi H, Kadiri Z, Bouarfa S, Kuper M. 2015. Une génération en quête d’opportunités et de reconnaissance: les jeunes ruraux et leurs trajectoires innovantes dans l’agriculture irriguée au Maghreb. Cahiers Agricultures 24, 323–329.
Desmulier D, Gasselin P. 2015. La quadrature des agricultures familiales: instruire et dépasser les controverses. Revue Tiers Monde 221, 129–146.
Duchene O, Vian JF, Celette F. 2017. Intercropping with legume for agroecological cropping systems: complementarity and facilitation processes and the importance of soil microorganisms: a review. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 240, 148–161.
Gaba S, Lescourret F, Boudsocq S, Enjalbert J, Hinsinger P, Journet EP, Navas ML, Wery J, Louarn G, Malézieux E, Pelzer E, Prudent M, Ozier-Lafontaine H. 2015. Multiple cropping systems as drivers for providing multiple ecosystem services: from concepts to design. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 35, 607–623.
Hernández-Pérez T, Gómez-García MDR, Valverde ME, Paredes-López O. 2020. Capsicum annuum (hot pepper): an ancient Latin-American crop with outstanding bioactive compounds and nutraceutical potential: a review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 19, 2972–2993. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12634
Ibitola OR, Fasakin IJ, Popoola OO, Olajide OO. 2019. Determinants of maize farmers’ productivity among smallholder farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Science 9, 189–198.
Janaki M, Naidu LN, Ramana CV, Rao MP. 2016. Genetic divergence among chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes based on quantitative and qualitative traits. International Journal of Science and Nature 7, 181–189.
Kakar M, Kiani A, Baig A. 2016. Determinants of agricultural productivity: empirical evidence from Pakistan’s economy. Global Economics Review 1, 1–12.
Lacombe P. 2016. L’agriculture familiale: rengaine ou nouveauté ? Natures Sciences Sociétés 24, 123–135.
Lemarié S. 2003. Évolution des structures industrielles et de la concurrence dans les secteurs des semences et des pesticides. In: INRA (ed.), Économie rurale. La politique de la concurrence dans l’agroalimentaire, Didier Aubert, Brandebourg, 167–182.
Lithourgidis AS, Dordas CA, Damalas CA, Vlachostergios D. 2011. Annual intercrops: an alternative pathway for sustainable agriculture. Australian Journal of Crop Science 5, 396–410.
Lozano-Fernández J, Orozco-Orozco LF, Montoya-Munera LF. 2018. Effect of two environments and fertilization recommendations on the development and production of bell pepper (cv. Nathalie). Acta Agronómica 67, 101–108.
Malézieux E, Crozat Y, Dupraz C, Laurans M, Makowski D, Ozier-Lafontaine H, Rapidel B, Tourdonnet S, Valantin-Morison M. 2009. Mixing plant species in cropping systems: concepts, tools and models: a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 29, 43–62.
Moussa S, Savio S, Ousmane K. 2022. Rôle du maraichage dans le développement socioéconomique à l’Office du Périmètre Irrigué de Baguineda. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences 16, 213–226.
Nahak SC, Nandi A, Sahu GS, Tripathy P, Das S, Mohanty A, Pradhan SR. 2018. Assessment of genetic diversity in different chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 7, 634–639.
Ouédraogo RA, Kambiré FC, Kestemont MP, Bielders CL. 2019. Caractériser la diversité des exploitations maraîchères de la région de Bobo-Dioulasso au Burkina Faso pour faciliter leur transition agroécologique. Cahiers Agricultures 28, 1–9.
Halimatou Ousseini Maiga, Oumarou Souleymane, Illiassou Mossi Maiga, Adam Toudou, 2025. Understanding the determinants of pepper production (Capsicum annuum L.) in Niger: Insights into local agricultural dynamics. Int. J. Agron. Agric. Res., 27(5), 37-45.
Copyright © 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.