Analysis of Costs and Returns to Maize-Cowpea Intercrop Production in Oyo state, Nigeria

Net gains on agricultural investments promote sustainable farm production. The costs and returns analysis to maize-cowpea intercrop was analysed in selected communities of Oyo state, Nigeria, to determine the profitability of the enterprise. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of one hundred and sixty maize-cowpea intercrop farmers in eighteen farming communities in the study area. Data were obtained from the farmers on their socio-economic characteristics, resource ownership, input and output used as well as costs incurred and revenue obtained for the 2006 production season using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on a gender-disaggregated basis and analysed with the budgetary technique using the gross margin approach. Results showed that the difference between gross revenues and total variable costs for male and female maize-cowpea intercrop farmers was statistically significant at 5% level. Maize-cowpea intercropping was found to be profitable as indicated by mean gross margins of N31, 200 and N19, 900 per hectare for male and female farmers respectively. However, the difference in the mean gross margin was not significant at the 5% level.Costs, Maize-cowpea intercrop, Returns, Crop Production/Industries,

Ex-Ante Evaluation of Nutrition and Health Benefits of Biofortified Cassava Roots in Nigeria: The Dalys Approach

Cassava is a major staple that supplies more than 50% of daily energy to more than 200 million persons in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Cassava roots are known to be low in micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc. Micronutrient deficiencies threaten the lives of millions of poor households and those located in remote rural areas of SSA often not targeted by fortification programmes. This paper presents results from an ex-ante evaluation of nutrition and health benefits of increased vitamin A status of cassava roots through biofortification for at-risk-target-groups using the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) approach. Results showed that Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) causes an annual loss of about 553,000 years of healthy life in Nigeria with children constituting more than forty percent. Biofortified cassava would reduce VAD by 4.42%, 11.73%, and 3.14% for children, pregnant women, and lactating women respectively in the pessimistic scenario. Results for the optimistic scenario are 28.79%, 76.39, and 20.45% respectively. The biofortification of cassava roots would result in annual gains of about 33,000 years of healthylife and avert 166 child deaths per year for the pessimistic scenario and about 220,000 years life and 1272 child deaths per year for the optimistic scenario. In economic terms, such a programme would bring gains amounting to about $10 million per year, which Biofortification, DALYs, Economics, Health, corresponds to an internal rate of return (IRR) as high as 92.4$63 million per year and an IRR of 165.3%. A research and development effort aimed at the biofortification of cassava roots is a powerful strategy in the fight against hidden hunger from micronutrient deficiencies, which African governments at the national and local levels, and international investors should support to improve the standard of living of the people in SSA.Cassava, Biofortification, DALYs, Economics, Health, Nigeria, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy,

Gender analysis of agricultural financing in cocoa-based farming system in Oyo and Osun States of South Western Nigeria

This paper aimed to study the gender differentials in agricultural financing in cocoa-based farming systems in Southwestern Nigeria. A multi stage sampling procedure was employed to select 200 cocoa farmers for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit regression model. The results revealed that cooperative societies are dominant sources of finance for both male and female cocoa farmers. The findings also revealed that male cocoa farmers have more sources of finance than their female counterparts in the study area. The determinant of access to finance for both male and female cocoa farmers was age; specific to male cocoa farmers were average income, household size and membership in cooperative societies while level of education and possession of collateral were specific to female cocoa famers. It was concluded that policy strategies aimed at improving access to finance must consider education and ownership of certain resources among female cocoa farmers and formation of cooperative societies among male cocoa farmers

Will farmers intend to cultivate Provitamin A genetically modified (GM) cassava in Nigeria? Evidence from a k-means segmentation analysis of beliefs and attitudes

Open Access JournalAnalysis of market segments within a population remains critical to agricultural systems and policy processes for targeting new innovations. Patterns in attitudes and intentions toward cultivating Provitamin A GM cassava are examined through the use of a combination of behavioural theory and k-means cluster analysis method, investigating the interrelationship among various behavioural antecedents. Using a state-level sample of smallholder cassava farmers in Nigeria, this paper identifies three distinct classes of attitude and intention denoted as low opposition, medium opposition and high opposition farmers. It was estimated that only 25% of the surveyed population of farmers was highly opposed to cultivating Provitamin A GM cassava

Characterization of maize producing communities in Benin, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria: West Africa Regional Synthesis Report

Maize is becoming increasingly important as a food security crop in West Africa. However, recurring droughts constitute a continuous challenge to its production. Attempts at addressing the drought problem resulted in the conduct of a participatory community survey of maize production systems with about 20–40% probability of drought risk in four DTMA countries (Bénin Republic, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria). The project is part of an initiative to develop and disseminate appropriate drought tolerant maize varieties in sub-Saharan Africa. The main objectives of the community survey were to complement household survey data, capture essential qualitative information and data that are difficult to obtain through formal household surveys, and serve as a pilot application for potential expansion through the African region. The survey was conducted in selected communities in two districts with high levels of maize production in each of the DTMA countries. Results show that maize is a major source of food and cash for smallholder farmers. Community members indicated that both positive and negative changes have taken place in the subregion over the 10-year period. Among these, the introduction and adoption of new DT maize varieties have contributed to achieving food security and poverty reduction, as well as enhanced livelihoods for the people. However, appropriate and adequate provision of production inputs (such as fertilizers, good quality seeds, and herbicides) is essential for achieving the optimum yield of DT maize. Constraints to production include long distances to input markets and the consequent high costs of transportation that make it very difficult for most farmers to get access to inputs. Bad road networks, lack of good quality drinking water, and poor health facilities which are common problems faced by farming households are also detrimental to agricultural productivity. Women in the subregion are also committed to farming but constrained by cultural and religious factors. Women have special roles such as in the cultivation of oil seed crops and vegetables on small parcels of land to provide additional income to the household. Thus, making men within farmers’ organizations more aware and appreciative of the value of women’s contributory role in the household will further help to achieve improved food security in the region

Effects of Soil Erosion on Technical Efficiency of Cassava Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effects of soil erosion on technical efficiency of cassava farming in Enugu State, Nigeria with a view to identifying the effects of erosion on cassava production.  A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Primary data were collected on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as age, gender, educational level, marital status, farm size, as well as on quantities and prices of inputs and outputs using a pre-tested questionnaire. Technical efficiency (TE) estimates showed that most farmers operated below the production frontier, with a significant difference (p< 0.05) between the mean TE of eroded farms (56 ± 0.19) percent and non-eroded (77 ± 0.17) farms. Farm size, labour, cassava stem cuttings, and fertilizer significantly (p<0.05) increased the level of TE in non-eroded farms, while only fertilizer significantly affected the TE in eroded farms. Significant (p<0.05) inefficiency factors on non-eroded farms were education, age, household size, and extension contact, while education and age were significant (p<0.05) in eroded farms. It was concluded that farmers in eroded farms were less technically efficient in their use of resources than farmers in non-eroded farms in Enugu State. Keywords: Enugu state, Erosion, maximum likelihood, stochastic frontier, technical efficienc

Economics of poultry manure utilization in land quality improvement among integrated poultry-maize-farmers in South-western Nigeria

The rapid growth of Nigerian's poultry has made it more advantageous in terms of providing the essential raw material for soil fertility enhancement than other livestock. This paper evaluates the benefits of poultry manure use among integrated poultry-maize farmers in Ekiti and Osun States of Nigeria for improved land quality and continuous food production. Data were collected using structured survey questionnaires administered on 500 randomly selected respondents in the two States. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and costs and returns techniques. Respondents were small holders, with land area grown to maize varying between 0.01 and 3.00 hectare. Majority of the respondents have personal farms but applied poultry manure only on small portions (25%) of the total cropped area of their farmlands. On the average, 53% of the respondents used poultry manure on their farms. Respondents were fairly literate with a mean age of 43 years. Major constraints to poultry manure use include odour, transportation, scarcity, wetness, bulkiness and time wastage in descending order of importance. While odour and transportation were identified as common problems among poultry manure users in Ekiti and Osun States, bulkiness was an additional constraint for non-user respondents in both states. Poultry manure material constituted about 91% of the total cost of inputs; transportation cost was 8% while labour cost averaged 2%. The mean net income earned per annum by poultry manure users was 1.40 times higher than that for non-users. The difference in mean net income users and non-users of poultry manure constitutes an important land improvement technique capable of enhancing farm production and income levels. Thus, technologies aimed at packaging it in such a way as to remove the associated social constraints to its use by farmers need be put in place. Keywords: - Economics, poultry manure, farmers, land improvement, Nigeria

Analysis of Costs and Returns to Maize-Cowpea Intercrop Production in Oyo state, Nigeria

Net gains on agricultural investments promote sustainable farm production. The costs and returns analysis to maize-cowpea intercrop was analysed in selected communities of Oyo state, Nigeria, to determine the profitability of the enterprise. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of one hundred and sixty maize-cowpea intercrop farmers in eighteen farming communities in the study area. Data were obtained from the farmers on their socio-economic characteristics, resource ownership, input and output used as well as costs incurred and revenue obtained for the 2006 production season using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on a gender-disaggregated basis and analysed with the budgetary technique using the gross margin approach. Results showed that the difference between gross revenues and total variable costs for male and female maize-cowpea intercrop farmers was statistically significant at 5% level. Maize-cowpea intercropping was found to be profitable as indicated by mean gross margins of N31, 200 and N19, 900 per hectare for male and female farmers respectively. However, the difference in the mean gross margin was not significant at the 5% level