Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Farm Size and Land Fragmentation has emerged as a critical factor shaping agricultural export earnings across organizations operating in and around the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how farm size and land fragmentation relates to agricultural export earnings has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on farm size and land fragmentation, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with agricultural export earnings, particularly within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Many organizations continue to make decisions about farm size and land fragmentation without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect agricultural export earnings. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Farm Size and Land Fragmentation on agricultural export earnings in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
2. To assess the extent to which farm size and land fragmentation influences agricultural export earnings within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with farm size and land fragmentation in relation to agricultural export earnings.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing farm size and land fragmentation in order to improve agricultural export earnings.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of farm size and land fragmentation on agricultural export earnings in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja?
2. To what extent does farm size and land fragmentation influence agricultural export earnings within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with farm size and land fragmentation in relation to agricultural export earnings?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize farm size and land fragmentation in order to improve agricultural export earnings?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around agricultural export earnings. For managers and practitioners within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the study provides practical insight into how farm size and land fragmentation can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on agricultural economics by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Farm Size and Land Fragmentation and its relationship with agricultural export earnings within the context of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It reflects a clearly defined scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.