COST AND RETURNS TO CONTRACT SEED PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE FROM OSUN STATE

The need to continuously multiply new improved seeds for onward delivery to the farmers, with the sole aim of attaining food self-suffi ciency, necessitates this study. Data were collected from 17 maize and soybean out growers randomly selected from a list of out growers provided by the seed manager, using structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using percentages and gross margin analysis. The analysis reveals that the variable costs were 97.38 and 97.07 percent of the total cost of maize and soybean production respectively. The fi xed costs, on the other hand, were 2.62 and 2.93 percent of the total cost of production respectively. The component analysis of revenue shows that 83.72 and 84.00 percent respectively of total revenue from maize and soybean were obtained from the good quality seed while 16.28 and 16.00 percent of revenue came from the poor quality seed (rejects). The economic effi ciency analysis revealed a value of 0.69 and 0.83 respectively for maize and soybean. These imply that a profi t of 0.69 Naira (N) and N0.83 is made for every naira spent by the out growers in maize and soybean production respectively. It was recommended that the out growers be motivated by making available the needed material inputs at reasonable prices

Linking Poverty Incidence to Water Resources Use: Policy Implications and Remedies Using Nigeria as Case Study

Water has been identified as a crucial resource for all life, production and development, while a lack of access to water has been linked to poverty. Its availability is closely linked to human welfare and health by affecting nutrition status and quantity of drinking water especially of the poor. It has impacts on household labour because of the time and energy spent in obtaining it. This paper examines the linkages between poverty incidence and water resources using descriptive statistics on secondary data from vast body of existing water resources management and poverty literature with the aim of suggesting a frame work that Nigeria‘s policy maker, the international donor community and other stakeholders may find useful in formulating policies related to management of Nigeria’s water resources in Nigeria. This study reviews the changing trend in water policy formulation in Nigeria and challenges and impact of those policies on sustainable water supply provision. The observation suggests that putting too much emphasis on drinking water needs, addresses a rather insignificant part of the problem of water resources and biases the range of solutions which are likely to be proposed for perceived shortages

PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN YAM BASED ENTERPRISES IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

This paper investigates the production efficiency in yam based enterprises is Ekiti State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires from 150 farmers randomly selected from four Local Government Areas. Stochastic frontier production function, using maximum likelihood estimation MLE was used to analyze the economic efficiency. The productivity of resources was also examined by obtaining the Average and Marginal product values. This study found out three types of yam production systems among the farmers. These are wetland, upland and a combination of the two types of production systems. The MLE results reveal that farm size and yam set weight are the major factors influencing gross margin in wetland yam based enterprises. Gross margin increases with farm size but decreases with yam set weight. The major factors in upland yam based enterprises are farm size, hired labor, pesticides and herbicides. An increase in hired labor input and value of pesticides and herbicides leads to increase in gross margin. Gross margin from wetland/upland yam based enterprises is mainly influenced by family labor, hired labor yam set weight, and pesticides and herbicides. The efficiency models show that in all the three farming systems, as crop diversification increases there is a decline in economic efficiency of the farmers. The wetland yam based enterprises are the most economically efficient with mean economic efficiency of 0.80 followed by upland yam based enterprises with mean efficiency of 0.79. Wetland/upland yam based enterprises are the least economically efficient with mean efficiency of 0.76. However only 20 percent of the farmers are wetland farmers while as high as 50 percent are upland farmers. Productivity of resources shows that yam set is over utilized in all the three farming systems. In addition to this, family labor and fertilizers are also over utilized in wetland yam based enterprises. The major conclusion drawn from the study is that farmers should seek to grow their yams on wetland. Also, farmers should address the problem of over utilization of yam set by adopting the yam minisett technology developed by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)

Estimation of Socioeconomic Status and Rainwater Consumption in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of rainwater among households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo-State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 126 randomly selected households. A double-hurdle estimation model using Ordered Probit with sample selection and Probit-Truncated Negative Binomial model were  used. The findings of the study indicated that the sex of the household head, marital status, female household size, education, occupation, size of rainwater collection material, root-top structure are important determinants of extent of rainwater usage. Male headed household, education, and size of rainwater collection material positively and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage, while sex and occupation inversely and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage. Likewise, education, size of rainwater collection material, roof-top structure positively associated with the number of uses of rainwater. The study concludes that the socioeconomic status of the household is an important determining factor in the harvesting and utilization of rainwater. Therefore, policy on rainwater harvesting and usage should consider the significant socioeconomic factors of the household as a starting point in the decision process

Estimation of Socioeconomic Status and Rainwater Consumption in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of rainwater among households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo-State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 126 randomly selected households. A double-hurdle estimation model using Ordered Probit with sample selection and Probit-Truncated Negative Binomial model were  used. The findings of the study indicated that the sex of the household head, marital status, female household size, education, occupation, size of rainwater collection material, root-top structure are important determinants of extent of rainwater usage. Male headed household, education, and size of rainwater collection material positively and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage, while sex and occupation inversely and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage. Likewise, education, size of rainwater collection material, roof-top structure positively associated with the number of uses of rainwater. The study concludes that the socioeconomic status of the household is an important determining factor in the harvesting and utilization of rainwater. Therefore, policy on rainwater harvesting and usage should consider the significant socioeconomic factors of the household as a starting point in the decision process

Estimation of Socioeconomic Status and Rainwater Consumption in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of rainwater among households in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo-State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 126 randomly selected households. A double-hurdle estimation model using Ordered Probit with sample selection and Probit-Truncated Negative Binomial model were  used. The findings of the study indicated that the sex of the household head, marital status, female household size, education, occupation, size of rainwater collection material, root-top structure are important determinants of extent of rainwater usage. Male headed household, education, and size of rainwater collection material positively and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage, while sex and occupation inversely and significantly influenced the frequency of rainwater usage. Likewise, education, size of rainwater collection material, roof-top structure positively associated with the number of uses of rainwater. The study concludes that the socioeconomic status of the household is an important determining factor in the harvesting and utilization of rainwater. Therefore, policy on rainwater harvesting and usage should consider the significant socioeconomic factors of the household as a starting point in the decision process

The effects of rainfall and other weather parameters on cocoa production in nigeria

Cocoa is an important crop to Nigeria, as important as it is, the climatic factors affecting it's production cannot be controlled by human efforts. The effect of changing climate all over the world is also affecting the yield of cocoa in Nigeria. This study determines the effects of rainfall, temperature and relative humidity on Cocoa yield in Nigeria by analyzing the trend over three decades 1980-2011. The study made use of the annual readings of the three climatic parameters in question and the cocoa yield recorded over these periods. Data were subjected to inferential statistics and regression analysis in Stata. The results showed that the mean rainfall value over the three decades ranged from 1148.84 +_438.59mm, 1245.25 +_209.59 mm and 1186.27 +_175.02mm for period between 1980-1990, 1991-2000 and 2001-2011 respectively. While the yield ranged from 13.85 tons, 10.53tons and 14.21 tons; the temperature ranged from 24.64, 25.91 and 25.1oC while relative humidity also ranged between 74.91, 74.18 and 75.1% respectively in the decades. Regression of yield against rainfall shows negative correlation of 0.0067852, with temperature and relative humidity there exists positive correlations of 1.092 and 0.7346respectively. The study concluded that excessive rainfall decreases yield of cocoa, while increases in temperature and relative humidity boosts some physiological processes for pod production in Cocoa. The study recommends that farmers should adopt newly developed Cocoa varieties from Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria which are well adapted to beat the vagaries of weather changes being experienced for improved income and livelihood

FOOD AS MEDICINE: FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AND REPORTED ILLNESSES AMONG HOUSEHOLDS

Rapid changes in climate and urban growth, changing demographics and heterogeneity of urban lifestyles are resulting in a shift in food consumption patterns, with a preference for foods with minimal processing time, quality and taste in Nigeria; but does there exist any relationship between food consumption pattern and reported illnesses among households? For better understanding, this study uses cross-sectional primary data, to thus, examine the relationship between food consumption patterns and the reported illnesses among households in Nigeria. Using a multistage sampling procedure, 250 households in two different local government areas were randomly selected. The study revealed that male household head consumed more plant-based whole food (0.6064) and therefore reported a lower incidence of illnesses (2.18) as compared to the female head whose consumption is lower (0.5644) with higher reported illnesses (3.13). The study further revealed that household members (41-50 years) are most aware of a plant-based whole food (54.17%) with lower reported illness (2.18), whereas members (61-80 years) have the highest reported illness (2.62) because they are the least aware (0.6189). Results also showed that people in the urban areas are prone to more sickness (2.04) than rural areas (1.79) because they are exposed to more choices of processed foods as compared to fresh farm foods available in the rural areas. Households’ consumption patterns were influenced by household head sex, income, location, level of awareness of plant-based whole food, and total food expenditure. Therefore, while the existence of rural-urban food linkages will ensure wider households’ access to quality whole foods needed to reduce reported illnesses; increasing households’ income will enhance diet diversity and reduction in Nigeria’s food insecurity. Also, more attention should be given to educating the people especially through media channels on the benefits of consuming plant-based whole food

THE EFFECTS OF RAINFALL AND OTHER WEATHER PARAMETERS ON COCOA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

Cocoa is an important crop to Nigeria, as important as it is, the climatic factors affecting it's production cannot be controlled by human efforts. The effect of changing climate all over the world is also affecting the yield of cocoa in Nigeria. This study determines the effects of rainfall, temperature and relative humidity on Cocoa yield in Nigeria by analyzing the trend over three decades 1980-2011. The study made use of the annual readings of the three climatic parameters in question and the cocoa yield recorded over these periods. Data were subjected to inferential statistics and regression analysis in Stata. The results showed that the mean rainfall value over the three decades ranged from 1148.84 +_438.59mm, 1245.25 +_209.59 mm and 1186.27 +_175.02mm for period between 1980-1990, 1991-2000 and 2001-2011 respectively. While the yield ranged from 13.85 tons, 10.53tons and 14.21 tons; the temperature ranged from 24.64, 25.91 and 25.1oC while relative humidity also ranged between 74.91, 74.18 and 75.1% respectively in the decades. Regression of yield against rainfall shows negative correlation of 0.0067852, with temperature and relative humidity there exists positive correlations of 1.092 and 0.7346respectively. The study concluded that excessive rainfall decreases yield of cocoa, while increases in temperature and relative humidity boosts some physiological processes for pod production in Cocoa. The study recommends that farmers should adopt newly developed Cocoa varieties from Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria which are well adapted to beat the vagaries of weather changes being experienced for improved income and livelihood