Production Elasticities, Return To Scale And Allocative Efficiency In Yam Production In Edo State, Nigeria

The study estimated the production elasticities, the return to scale and analysed the allocative efficiency of resources used in yam production in Edo State. A four-stage sampling process involving simple random sampling was employed to select 180 yam farmers and a set of questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The Data collected were analysed using stochastic frontier production function and marginal analysis. The result of the study showed that none of the inputs used by the farmers was efficiently allocated and utilised. Land (15.72), planting material (7.27) and fertilizer (2.38) were under-utilised, while labour (0.63) and agrochemical (0.52) were over-utilised. This showed that there was the existence of disequilibria in the allocation and utilisation of inputs by yam farmers in Edo State. Also, production elasticity estimates indicated that the farmers’ production was in stage 1 (irrational stage) of the production function indicating that there is room for expansion in output and productivity of yam farmers in Edo State. This can be actualised by cropping higher hectarage of farm land with increased quantity of planting material and controlled usage of higher quantities of fertilizer as these were found to be under-utilised. A return to scale of 1.434 indicated increasing returns to scale.Keywords: Allocative Efficiency, Elasticity of Production, Return to Scale, Yam

Structure, conduct and performance of Plantain Marketing in Edo State, Nigeria

The study examined the conduct, structure and performance of plantain marketing in Edo State. The objectives of the study were to examine the structure and conduct of plantain marketing system, assess its performance and estimate the cost and returns in plantain marketing. Data for the study were collected using a well-structured questionnaire administered to 240 marketers of plantain selected using a two–stage sampling process involving random and purposive sampling techniques. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, marketing margins, marketing efficiency and the Gini-coefficient. The results indicate that the market was characterized with many buyers and sellers reflecting a pure competitive structure, prices were determined mainly by factors such as purchase price, ability of the buyers to haggle, supply and demand forces and cost of transportation. Market associations existed among the marketers but only 32.42% belonged to such associations. Most of the respondents agreed that they used both open display and persuasive efforts to attract customers. The value of the Gini coefficient (0.677) indicates some level of inequality suggesting the presence of market concentration among the respondents. The results indicated a net profit of N15.70 per kg of raw plantain. The marketing margin of #32.1 and efficiency of 95.79% indicate reasonably good performance. © JASE

A Comparative Analysis Of The Technical Efficiency Of Mechanized And Non-Mechanized Cassava Farmers In Egor And Oredo Local Government Areas Of Edo State, Nigeria

The study compared the mechanical efficiency of mechanized and non-mechanized cassava farmers in Egor and Oredo Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria. A total of 80 cassava farmers (40 mechanized and 40 non-mechanized) were randomly selected from eight villages in the study area and interviewed using a wellstructured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function. The result showed that about 97%(γ = 0.97) and 99% (γ= 0.99) of the variations in the output of the mechanized and non-mechanized cassava farmers respectively were due to their technical inefficiency. For the mechanized farmers, age and educational level had positive significant (P< 0.05) effect on their technical inefficiency; variety of cassavacultivated had negative significant (

Comparative demand analysis for rice in Edo, delta and Lagos states of Nigeria

The study examined the comparative demand analysis for rice types in Edo, Delta and Lagos states of Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure, involving four stages, was used to select eight hundred and twelve (812) households. Data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that the expenditure share of rice was highest in urban Edo (0.25), followed by urban Delta (0.23) and least in urban Lagos (0.22). The quantity consumed was highest in urban Lagos (32.5Kg), followed by urban Delta (29.3Kg) and closely followed by urban Edo (28.4Kg). Higher consumption of rice was by the male-headed households in urban Delta, Lagos and Edo in particular. The result of the inferential statistics showed that urban Edo had the least subsistent level (0.015) while rural Delta had the highest (0.135) for every N1 price of rice and N1 income of a rice-consuming household. The contribution of the effect of the price of rice on the budget share of rice in the study area was highest in rural Edo (12.1%) and urban Edo (13.9%). Edo state is also remarkable as the rice budget share of households decreased by 12.8% and 15.2 % in rural and urban centres of the state respectively for aone percent increase in the price of rice in the urban centre of the study area unlike the increased contribution of rural Lagos (10.0%) and rural Delta (15.7%).Keywords: Expenditure, income rice demand, urban and rural centres, Southwest Nigeria

Impact of price and total expenditure on food demand in South-Western Nigeria

This study examined the impact of price and total expenditure on food demand in Edo, Delta and Lagos states of Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to collect cross-sectional data from eight hundred and twelve (812) households for the study. Both descriptive statistics and the Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) model as inferential statistics were used to estimate the responsiveness of demand for food to changes in prices, expenditures and incomes. The study found out that the majority of the household heads were young male, withsmall (1-5 members) to medium (6-10 members) family size and lived in urban centers. Though rice constituted the largest share of the household total food expenditure, in both rural and urban centres, income did not have much weight in its consumption, with less substitutability in response to changes in own-price and has changed from being a luxury to being a necessity. While the low-income and rural households spent more of their income on food, the share of rice and yam in the household’s budgets was higher at higher income levels while that of cassava, a less expensive source of calories, was lower among the high income and relativelyaffluent urban households. The budget share of meat and fish, a more expensive source of calories, being mainly protein sources, was higher among the low-income and less affluent households in the urban centres. The result of the LA/AIDS showed that, in terms of own-price elasticity, the compensated own-price elasticity for rice (-1.0659) was the most elastic, followed by garri (-0.9655), yam (-0.5792), other cereals (-0.5611), and meat/fish (-0.4440). Rice, garri and yam were the main Nigerian staples. The demand for these food items in Nigeria is not so much a matterof price, rather, it is a phenomenon linked with the ease of preparation, household characteristics and urban lifestyles. To meet with the present demand, Nigeria needs to increase the production of these food items

An assessment of the profitability of fish production systems in Ovia North East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

The study examined the profitability of fish production system in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to examine the socioeconomic characteristics of the fish farmers, estimate the profitability of the various fish production systems and identify the problems facing fish farmers in the study area. A combination of purposive and Snowball sampling procedure was used in selecting 70 fish farmers. Structured questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect the primary data and were subjected to descriptive statistics, gross margin and profitability analysis. The study revealed that the mean age of the respondents was approximately 36 years while majority (76 %) of the respondents were males with. average household size of 5 persons while about 51 % of the respondents were single. On the average, the farming experience of the respondents was about 11 years. The result shows that 20 % of the respondents used earthen pond production system while 51 % used concrete pond. The results also showed that earthen pond fish users had on the average a total revenue of  ₦475/kg of fish, concrete tank users had about  ₦483.33/kg of fish as total revenue, plastic tank users had about  ₦491.67/kg of fish, tarpaulin tank users had an average revenue of  ₦440/kg of fish, while farmers that combine both concrete and plastic and those that combine both concrete and tarpaulin had a total revenue of  ₦500/kg of fish and  ₦450/kg of fish respectively. The results also showed that fish production was profitable in the production systems. Earthen pond fish users, concrete pond users, plastic pond users, Tarpaulin pond users, concrete and plastic pond users and concrete and tarpaulin pond users had net profits of  ₦311.43,  ₦264.46, ₦304.29,  ₦353.87,  ₦277.97 and  ₦261.40. There is no significant difference between the profits earned in the various fish production systems at 5 % level of significance. The major constraints affecting the economic status of the respondents were inadequacy of sufficient funds, high cost of quality feed and unavailability of labour. It was recommended that catfish farmer in the study area can adopt any method of production and still make reasonable profit.Keywords: Fish production Systems, Gross margin and Profitabilit

Benefits and constraints of shea butter production by women in Nasarawa state, Nigeria

The study assessed women involvement in shea butter production activities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The specific objectives included the examination of the socio-economic characteristics of the women involved in shea butter production in Nasarawa, ascertaining the contribution of their involvement to their wellbeing and examining the constraints they face during the production activities. To achieve these objectives data on women shea butter production activities and benefits derived were collected from 97 respondents from the state using questionnaire and interview schedule. The data collected were analysed using descriptive (frequency distribution, mean) and inferential statistics (multiple regressions). The results revealed that the majority of the respondents were married, illiterate, young within the age bracket of 30-39 years and family size of more than 5. All of them belonged to farm associations. The major benefits the respondents believed they derived from their shea butter processing business included better feeding of household (46.9%), more income (100%) and improved child training (93.8%). Two of the several major serious constraints the respondents faced in their production activities were hazards during fruit collection (mean = 2.54), inadequate inputs (2.87). Multiple regression results revealed that age (b=-0.089), household size (b = 0.014), production experience (b = -0.006), income (b = 0.210) and membership of cooperatives (b = 0.045) had a significant influence on the women level of involvement in shea butter production activities. From this study it can be concluded that shea butter production process in Nasarawa State, Nigeria is dominated by women with no formal education and their participation in the process was affected by or related to some socio-economic characteristics of the women. Also shea butter processing and sales is not a very lucrative business as income level is low. Nevertheless, women involvement was relatively high and income generated was of benefit to them.Key Words: Women, Shea butter production, Benefit

Determinants of Revenue Derived from Pineapple Marketing in Edo State, Nigeria

The study examined the determinants of revenue derived from pineapple marketing in Edo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives are to describe the marketers, determine the marketing margin and efficiency, estimate the profitability of pineapple marketing and identify the factors affecting the revenue generated from pineapple marketing. A multistage sampling technique was used to select two hundred (200) respondents and data was obtained using a combination of interview and structured questionnaire. The results showed that an average pineapple marketer has a mean volume of 98 dozens and incurred a variable cost of N222, 861.28 earning average revenue of N289, 323.44 per month. The gross margin per person was N66, 442.16 for unprocessed pineapple per individual marketer about N678.19 and N1, 422. 62 was recorded as gross margin per dozen of processed and processing pineapple respectively. The average marketing margin was N1, 127.11 per dozen of unprocessed pineapple fruit and N1, 697.17 for the processed fruit. The marketing efficiency of unprocessed pineapple fruit (47.5%) and processed fruit (79.8%) in the study area were less than 100% indicating that the market is under efficient. The quantity of pineapple purchased (t-value= 111.529) and transport cost (t-value= 4.203) incurred were the statistically significant determinant of the revenue derived from pineapple marketing. The result of the regression analysis indicated that pineapple purchased and transportation cost incurred had positive and significant influence on the revenue accrued from pineapple marketing in the study area. The major constraints to pineapple marketing identified were, perishable nature of pineapple, exploitation from buyers and poor storage and processing facilitiesKey Word: Pineapple marketing, revenue efficiency, profitability, Edo State, Nigeri