Summary The purpose of this study was to develop prototype farm plans according to the multi-obje... more Summary The purpose of this study was to develop prototype farm plans according to the multi-objective production goals of small-scale arable crop producers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 137 farm households in different local government areas (LGAs). A structured questionnaire complemented with interview schedule was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and linear goal programming were used for data analysis. The results obtained indicate that the optimal plan of generating an income of ₦242,076.20 requires 0.368 ha of melons, 0.044 ha of yam/maize mixture and 0.259 ha of sorghum/groundnuts. The optimal net profit was 44.05% higher than that achieved by implementing the existing plan. To meet family food requirements, the solution plan prescribed devoting 0.048 ha to cassava, 0.211 ha to sorghum, 0.368 ha to melons, 0.074ha to Bambara nuts, and 1.065 ha to sorghum/groundnuts to generate an ...
This study examined the profitability of maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State,... more This study examined the profitability of maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling .technique was employed for selecting the respondents and data were collected using structured questionnaires from a total of 360 maize/sorghum based farming household heads sampled from nine (9) Local Government Areas across the three agricultural zones of the state. Descriptive statistics and farm budgeting technique were used to analyze the data for this study. Results revealed that a typical maize/sorghum based crop farmer cultivated average farm size of 2.36 hectares, with less than 10% of these planted with maize and sorghum as sole or mono-crops. The profitability analysis indicate that returns from sole maize cropping enterprise is the lowest but combinations of maize with other crops tends to yield higher returns. Across the State, Nl.35, Nl.58 and Nl.31 was realized for every Nl.00 invested in production of maize/sorghum cropping enterprises by farmers in Zone I, Zone II and Zone III of Niger State agricultural zones respectively. The net farm income/ha was N36,735.44 with an average gross margin/ha of N38,378.41 was realized by the maize/sorghum based farmers. The gross ratio of 0.44 and the operating ratio of 0.40 are indicators that maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises was profitable. The study recommended that farmers should be enlightened on the higher returns to investment and profitability of cultivating maize and sorghum in combination and with other crops through effective extension and farm advisory services to enhance farmers' incomes and livelihoods thereby curb the incidences of widespread hunger, unemployment and poverty.
The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in N... more The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 150 randomly selected root and tuber crop farmers from the study area. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, frequency distribution table and percentages were used to summarize the variables used in the analysis while data envelopment analysis was used to empirically determine the resource productivity in the study area. The DEA result on the overall technical efficiency of the farmers showed that 6% of the sampled root and tuber crop farmers in the study area were operating at frontier and optimum level of production with mean technical efficiency of 1.00. Decomposition of technical efficiency also showed mean efficiency scores of 0.25 and 0.32 for overall technical efficiency and scale efficiency respec...
The study analysed the determinants of awareness of credit procurement procedures and farmers inc... more The study analysed the determinants of awareness of credit procurement procedures and farmers income in Minna Metropolis, Niger State. A total of 90 farmers were randomly sampled from six villages around Minna Metropolis. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents in the study area. Descriptive statistics and three stage least square estimate were used to determine the relationship between farmers' socio economics factors, utilization of credit and total value of output, amount of credit procured and awareness of credit procurement procedures. The result appears to suggest that older farmers are not keen on available agricultural credit and tend to run the farm enterprise as a social enterprise. In view of this, and in order to reposition agriculture, farmers have to be enlightened to run their farm enterprise as a business and procure credit in order to increase the capital investment in the farm enterprise.
Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 2020
The study developed an optimal arable crop combination plans that would maximize the net returns ... more The study developed an optimal arable crop combination plans that would maximize the net returns of the smallholder farmers in Kaiama agricultural zone of Kwara State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 40 smallholder farmers. Interview schedule was used to obtain cross-sectional data from the farmers. Descriptive statistics, farm budgeting technique and linear programming model were used to analyse the data obtained. The results of the analysis showed that mixed crop enterprises were more profitable than sole crop enterprises. The LP result revealed that 1.75 ha of maize/cowpea, 1.64 ha of maize/soybean, 1.40 ha of maize/yam and 0.70 ha of sorghum/soybean were prescribed as solutions to maximize net returns in the optimal plan. The optimal net return was $937.98 which is 52.23% higher than the existing plan. Maize enterprise had the highest marginal opportunity cost while yam had the least. However, Capital and labour constituted the limiting resources in th...
Stakeholders in agricultural development in Nigeria are currently confronted with the onerous tas... more Stakeholders in agricultural development in Nigeria are currently confronted with the onerous task of feeding over hundred million people in the nation. The paper attempts to examine the trends in the production, area and productivity of cocoyam in Nigeria from 1960/61 to 2003/06 in two periods and highlights the relative contributions of area and productivity to the observed growth. Results
Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences, 2009
The study examined profitability and resource-use efficiency in Maize Production in Kontagora Loc... more The study examined profitability and resource-use efficiency in Maize Production in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria during 2007 cropping season. Primary data were collected and analyzed using farm budgeting techniques and Production Function Analysis. Results indicated that farmers realized and average farm income and gross margin of N242, 114.00 and N 269,862.78 respectively whose equivalents in US Dollars stood at US $2,029.80 and US $2,262,43 respectively as at the time this study was carried out. The result of the allocative efficiency index indicated that farm size , labour and fertilizer were over utilized, while other inputs and capital inputs were under utilized. It is recommended that surplus labour should be channeled into other income generating ventures during off-peak periods of labour demand.
FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology
This study describes the socio-economic characteristics of the cereal/legume farmers in Nasarawa ... more This study describes the socio-economic characteristics of the cereal/legume farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, identify risk associated with cereal/legume enterprises; determine the risk attitude of the farmers and identify the management strategies employed in minimizing risk associated with cereal/legume enterprise in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used for the selection of two Local Government Areas (LGAs) from each of the three agricultural zones I, II, and III, respectively. Farming communities was randomly selected from each of the sampled LGAs from which respondents were proportionately selected to make a total of 105 respondents for this study. Primary data was collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and interview schedule. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, Safety-first and factor analysis. The result showed that the mean age of the farmers was 40 years, 78.1% of respondents were male and a82.9% of them were married...
This study examined the profitability of maize and sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger St... more This study examined the profitability of maize and sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed for selecting the respondents and data were collected using structured questionnaires from a total of 360 maize and sorghum- based farming household heads in 9 Local Government Areas across the three agricultural zones of the state. The specific objectives were to estimate the costs and returns of maize and sorghum production under sole and intercropping systems and compare the profitability of these enterprises across the agricultural zones of the State. Descriptive statistics and farm budgeting technique were used to analyze the data collected. The profitability analysis indicate that returns from sole maize cropping enterprise is the lowest but combinations of maize with other crops tends to yield higher returns. Across the State, N1.35, N1.58 and N1.31 was realized for every N1.00 invested in production of maize/sorghum crop...
Informal vendors are a critical source of food security for urban residents in African cities. Ho... more Informal vendors are a critical source of food security for urban residents in African cities. However, the livelihoods of these traders and the governance constraints they encounter are not well-understood outside of the region's capital and primate cities. This study focuses on two distinct secondary cities in Nigeria, Calabar in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country and Minna in the Middle Belt region. Local and state officials in each city were interviewed on the legal, institutional, and oversight functions they provide within the informal food sector. This was complemented with a survey of 1,097 traders across the two cities to assess their demographic characteristics, contributions to local food security, key challenges they face for profitability, engagement with government actors, and degree of access to services in the markets. The analysis highlights two main findings. First, informal traders report less harassment by government actors than has been observed in larger Nigerian cities. At the same time, however, the enabling environment is characterized by benign neglect whereby government-mandated oversight functions are not comprehensively implemented and service delivery gaps remain a major hindrance to food safety. Second, there are important differences in the needs of traders across cities, suggesting that policies focused on food safety and improving the livelihoods of this constituency more broadly need to be properly nuanced even at the subnational level.
Summary The purpose of this study was to develop prototype farm plans according to the multi-obje... more Summary The purpose of this study was to develop prototype farm plans according to the multi-objective production goals of small-scale arable crop producers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 137 farm households in different local government areas (LGAs). A structured questionnaire complemented with interview schedule was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and linear goal programming were used for data analysis. The results obtained indicate that the optimal plan of generating an income of ₦242,076.20 requires 0.368 ha of melons, 0.044 ha of yam/maize mixture and 0.259 ha of sorghum/groundnuts. The optimal net profit was 44.05% higher than that achieved by implementing the existing plan. To meet family food requirements, the solution plan prescribed devoting 0.048 ha to cassava, 0.211 ha to sorghum, 0.368 ha to melons, 0.074ha to Bambara nuts, and 1.065 ha to sorghum/groundnuts to generate an ...
This study examined the profitability of maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State,... more This study examined the profitability of maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling .technique was employed for selecting the respondents and data were collected using structured questionnaires from a total of 360 maize/sorghum based farming household heads sampled from nine (9) Local Government Areas across the three agricultural zones of the state. Descriptive statistics and farm budgeting technique were used to analyze the data for this study. Results revealed that a typical maize/sorghum based crop farmer cultivated average farm size of 2.36 hectares, with less than 10% of these planted with maize and sorghum as sole or mono-crops. The profitability analysis indicate that returns from sole maize cropping enterprise is the lowest but combinations of maize with other crops tends to yield higher returns. Across the State, Nl.35, Nl.58 and Nl.31 was realized for every Nl.00 invested in production of maize/sorghum cropping enterprises by farmers in Zone I, Zone II and Zone III of Niger State agricultural zones respectively. The net farm income/ha was N36,735.44 with an average gross margin/ha of N38,378.41 was realized by the maize/sorghum based farmers. The gross ratio of 0.44 and the operating ratio of 0.40 are indicators that maize/sorghum based cropping enterprises was profitable. The study recommended that farmers should be enlightened on the higher returns to investment and profitability of cultivating maize and sorghum in combination and with other crops through effective extension and farm advisory services to enhance farmers' incomes and livelihoods thereby curb the incidences of widespread hunger, unemployment and poverty.
The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in N... more The study examined resource productivity analysis of small scale root and tuber crop farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 150 randomly selected root and tuber crop farmers from the study area. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, frequency distribution table and percentages were used to summarize the variables used in the analysis while data envelopment analysis was used to empirically determine the resource productivity in the study area. The DEA result on the overall technical efficiency of the farmers showed that 6% of the sampled root and tuber crop farmers in the study area were operating at frontier and optimum level of production with mean technical efficiency of 1.00. Decomposition of technical efficiency also showed mean efficiency scores of 0.25 and 0.32 for overall technical efficiency and scale efficiency respec...
The study analysed the determinants of awareness of credit procurement procedures and farmers inc... more The study analysed the determinants of awareness of credit procurement procedures and farmers income in Minna Metropolis, Niger State. A total of 90 farmers were randomly sampled from six villages around Minna Metropolis. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents in the study area. Descriptive statistics and three stage least square estimate were used to determine the relationship between farmers' socio economics factors, utilization of credit and total value of output, amount of credit procured and awareness of credit procurement procedures. The result appears to suggest that older farmers are not keen on available agricultural credit and tend to run the farm enterprise as a social enterprise. In view of this, and in order to reposition agriculture, farmers have to be enlightened to run their farm enterprise as a business and procure credit in order to increase the capital investment in the farm enterprise.
Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 2020
The study developed an optimal arable crop combination plans that would maximize the net returns ... more The study developed an optimal arable crop combination plans that would maximize the net returns of the smallholder farmers in Kaiama agricultural zone of Kwara State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 40 smallholder farmers. Interview schedule was used to obtain cross-sectional data from the farmers. Descriptive statistics, farm budgeting technique and linear programming model were used to analyse the data obtained. The results of the analysis showed that mixed crop enterprises were more profitable than sole crop enterprises. The LP result revealed that 1.75 ha of maize/cowpea, 1.64 ha of maize/soybean, 1.40 ha of maize/yam and 0.70 ha of sorghum/soybean were prescribed as solutions to maximize net returns in the optimal plan. The optimal net return was $937.98 which is 52.23% higher than the existing plan. Maize enterprise had the highest marginal opportunity cost while yam had the least. However, Capital and labour constituted the limiting resources in th...
Stakeholders in agricultural development in Nigeria are currently confronted with the onerous tas... more Stakeholders in agricultural development in Nigeria are currently confronted with the onerous task of feeding over hundred million people in the nation. The paper attempts to examine the trends in the production, area and productivity of cocoyam in Nigeria from 1960/61 to 2003/06 in two periods and highlights the relative contributions of area and productivity to the observed growth. Results
Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences, 2009
The study examined profitability and resource-use efficiency in Maize Production in Kontagora Loc... more The study examined profitability and resource-use efficiency in Maize Production in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria during 2007 cropping season. Primary data were collected and analyzed using farm budgeting techniques and Production Function Analysis. Results indicated that farmers realized and average farm income and gross margin of N242, 114.00 and N 269,862.78 respectively whose equivalents in US Dollars stood at US $2,029.80 and US $2,262,43 respectively as at the time this study was carried out. The result of the allocative efficiency index indicated that farm size , labour and fertilizer were over utilized, while other inputs and capital inputs were under utilized. It is recommended that surplus labour should be channeled into other income generating ventures during off-peak periods of labour demand.
FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology
This study describes the socio-economic characteristics of the cereal/legume farmers in Nasarawa ... more This study describes the socio-economic characteristics of the cereal/legume farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, identify risk associated with cereal/legume enterprises; determine the risk attitude of the farmers and identify the management strategies employed in minimizing risk associated with cereal/legume enterprise in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used for the selection of two Local Government Areas (LGAs) from each of the three agricultural zones I, II, and III, respectively. Farming communities was randomly selected from each of the sampled LGAs from which respondents were proportionately selected to make a total of 105 respondents for this study. Primary data was collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and interview schedule. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, Safety-first and factor analysis. The result showed that the mean age of the farmers was 40 years, 78.1% of respondents were male and a82.9% of them were married...
This study examined the profitability of maize and sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger St... more This study examined the profitability of maize and sorghum based cropping enterprises in Niger State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed for selecting the respondents and data were collected using structured questionnaires from a total of 360 maize and sorghum- based farming household heads in 9 Local Government Areas across the three agricultural zones of the state. The specific objectives were to estimate the costs and returns of maize and sorghum production under sole and intercropping systems and compare the profitability of these enterprises across the agricultural zones of the State. Descriptive statistics and farm budgeting technique were used to analyze the data collected. The profitability analysis indicate that returns from sole maize cropping enterprise is the lowest but combinations of maize with other crops tends to yield higher returns. Across the State, N1.35, N1.58 and N1.31 was realized for every N1.00 invested in production of maize/sorghum crop...
Informal vendors are a critical source of food security for urban residents in African cities. Ho... more Informal vendors are a critical source of food security for urban residents in African cities. However, the livelihoods of these traders and the governance constraints they encounter are not well-understood outside of the region's capital and primate cities. This study focuses on two distinct secondary cities in Nigeria, Calabar in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country and Minna in the Middle Belt region. Local and state officials in each city were interviewed on the legal, institutional, and oversight functions they provide within the informal food sector. This was complemented with a survey of 1,097 traders across the two cities to assess their demographic characteristics, contributions to local food security, key challenges they face for profitability, engagement with government actors, and degree of access to services in the markets. The analysis highlights two main findings. First, informal traders report less harassment by government actors than has been observed in larger Nigerian cities. At the same time, however, the enabling environment is characterized by benign neglect whereby government-mandated oversight functions are not comprehensively implemented and service delivery gaps remain a major hindrance to food safety. Second, there are important differences in the needs of traders across cities, suggesting that policies focused on food safety and improving the livelihoods of this constituency more broadly need to be properly nuanced even at the subnational level.
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