Profitability of Backyard Poultry Farming in Sokoto Metropolis, Sokoto State, North-West, Nigeria

The study was carried out to determine the profitability of backyard poultry production in Sokoto metropolis. Multistage sampling was used to draw 100 samples of backyard poultry farmers used for the study. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Data analyses were done using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting and linear regression. Results showed that majority of the backyard poultry farmers were aged between 21-30 years (57.14%). Most of them were male (62%) and have acquired tertiary education (82%). The flock size owned by the majority (64%) was between the ranges of 10-50 birds. The major source of investment capital of the enterprise was personal savings (82%). The results further showed that variable costs were the most important costs accounting for 88.41% of the total cost and the net farm income per respondent was N48, 745.58 per annum. The linear regression result revealed that cost of chicks (P< 0.01), housing (P< 0.1) and drinkers (P< 0.1) had significant positive contribution while cost of heating (P< 0.01) had significant negative contribution to output generation from the enterprise. Disease outbreak was the most serious problem affecting backyard poultry production in the study area. It is concluded that the enterprise was profitable and it was dominated by male who were mostly married. There was no credit availability to boost the enterprise and farmers in the business were faced with the problem of disease outbreak. These invariably affected the overall performance of the enterprise. It was therefore, recommended that credit institutions be encouraged to make loan available to those people engaged in the enterprise

Economic Analysis of Beekeeping in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to analyze the economics of beekeeping in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Three (3) wards (extension blocks) were purposely selected out of the eleven (11) wards to reflect areas where beekeeping is predominantly found. A total of 100 respondents were randomly and proportionately selected from the three (3) wards and used for the study. Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and multiple regression were used as analytical tools. The result indicates that majority (90%) were male, most of them (56%) had between 20 &ndash; 40 colonies, 44% had primary education and 40% had between 16 &ndash; 20 years beekeeping experience in the study area. The results of multiple regression analysis indicate that the coefficients of age, number of colony owned and gender were positive and significant at 5% and 10%, respectively. Costs and returns analysis indicates that gross revenue, total cost and net farm income were N14,234.17, N5,260.65 and N8,973.74 per colony, respectively. Inadequate credit, theft, bush burning, absconding of bees and inadequate improved technologies were some of the major problems militating against beekeeping in the study area. It was recommended that extension agents in the state should be property trained and provided with all the necessary technological packages required to teach and guide farmers on improved beekeeping to reduce cost of production, farmers engaged in beekeeping should form cooperative groups that will enable them obtain credit from government and financial institutions and non-governmental organisations in collaboration with farmers cooperative groups should provide improved beekeeping technologies at subsidized rate to the farmers.Keywords: Beekeeping, Economic analysis, Borno StateNigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science (2011), 19(2): 285-29

Effect of “Irkoy Gomni” Micro-credit scheme on Resource- Use in cattle fattening in Tillabery Region of Niger Republic

This study was carried out to ascertain whether credit obtained for cattle fattening has had any meaningful contribution to the resources used by the beneficiary farmers in Kollo LGA of Tillabery Region Niger Republic. One hundred loan beneficiary cattle fattening farmers were randomly selected out of a sampling frame of 732 beneficiaries with not less than 5 borrowing circles. One hundred non-beneficiary cattle fatteners who were immediate neighbours of the sampled beneficiaries were also randomly selected from an established sampling frame obtained from the village heads to make a total sample size of 200, comprising of 100 beneficiaries and 100 non beneficiaries. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square and multiple regressions. The results showed that cattle fattening was the most preferred economic activity for both the beneficiaries (94%) and their non beneficiary counterparts (91%). The chisquare value (5.192) showed no significant difference in preferences of the economic activities between the two sets of farmers. Credit delivered to the beneficiaries enabled them use higher quantities of feed (P&lt;0.01) and labour resources (P&lt;0.1) than their non-beneficiary counterparts. Similarly, credit delivered has brought about significant increase (P&lt;0.01) in revenue accrued to the fattening business of the beneficiary farmers. Based on the results, it is recommended that the scope of the credit be expanded to cover more farmers in the area.&#160;&#160

Assessment of Farmers' Understanding of the Information Displayed on Pesticide Product labels in Ilorin Metropolis of Kwara State

This paper assesses farmers' understanding of the information displayed on pesticides product labels in Ilorin metropolis of Kwara State. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire. A random sampling was employed for selecting 86 respondents representing 20% of the total 430 registered members of farmers association of Nigeria in the metropolis. Descriptive statistics were used as analytical tools. The result shows that majority of the farmers were male and ranges between 31 to 50 years of age. The farmers were literate with majority having secondary education and also with 6 to 10 years experience in pesticides usage and farming. The study further revealed that despite high literacy level among farmers in Ilorin metropolis of Kwara state and widespread experiences in the use of pesticides, majority do not understand the information displayed on pesticide product label. The results showed the information displayed on pesticide product label was not effective in the sense that the farmers do not read the labels let alone understood it .They however preferred the information given by their colleagues. Majority of the farmers keep the pesticides inside their houses, prepare it on the field and discard the empty packages into forest. Most of the farmers know about Dichloro-diphenyl trichloro ethane as the only banned pesticide in circulation. The major problems facing the farmers with regards to understanding pesticide labels are that languages used are mostly technical and foreign. It was suggested that pictorial demonstration and bold images should be used since what is seen are easy understood.Keywords: information displayed, pesticides and product labels

Determination of the level of resource-use efficiency in Quality Protein Maize (QPM) production in Kaduna State, Nigeria

The study aimed at determining the level of resource use efficiency in Quality Protein Maize (QPM) production in Kaduna State. Multi stage sampling technique was used to sample 170 respondents from four L.G.As. where QPM is mostly produced. Data were collected through questionnaire administration during the 2009 cropping season. Data analysis was done using multiple regression and estimation of resource-use efficiency ratio. The results showed that fertilizers, family and hired labour were over utilized while land and seeds were under utilized in the production process. This implied that, in order to scale-up output, levels of fertilizers, family and hired labour ought to be reduced while land and seeds ought to be increased

Profitability Analysis of Rice Processing and Marketing in Kano State, Nigeria

The study determined the profitability of rice processing and marketing in Kano State. The objective of the study was to assess the profitability levels of rice processing and marketing, evaluate the value added to the commodity at each stage in the study area and determine the most efficient services produce. Primary data were collected from 120 randomly selected respondents comprising parboilers, millers, retailers and wholesalers using interview schedule. The findings indicated that Net Milling Income of millers was N3,378,855.08 per respondent per year; the value added was N5,736,658.82 and service efficiency was 243.3. This result, therefore, showed that the Net Milling Income, value added and service efficiency for millers were higher, followed by wholesalers (N2,239,086.63, N2,239,086.63 and 3.5 respectively) and retailers (N422,230.77, N422,230.77 and 5.65 respectively), with the parboilers having the least. The millers had a Net Present Value of N10, 555,709 at 22% and an Internal Rate of Return of 140 which shows that the business of milling can payback money loaned from bank at even 140% interest rate. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the parboilers should be paid for their services separately from costs of input for parboiling and the traders should enhance the existing co-operatives societies and encourage bulk purchase and transportation of the milled rice. This will reduce the high cost of milled rice as well as reduce the cost of transportation.Keywords: Rice, Processing, Marketing, ProfitabilityNigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science (2011), 19(2): 293-29

Flock Size and System of Turkey Management by Farmers in Zuru Emirate, Kebbi State, Nigeria

The study examined flock size and system of management by Turkey producers in Zuru Emirate of Kebbi State, Nigeria. Proportionate random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and eighty seven (187) Turkey producers from four Local Government Areas of the Emirate. Primary data were collected using interview schedule. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that majority (57.8%) of the Turkey producers were rearing local breed with flock size of between 11-20 birds and most of them (53.5%) practiced semi-intensive system of management Turkey producers in the study area keep turkeys for various reasons, but majority (69.5%) of them keep turkeys for income. Further revealed from the result was the fact that most of the producers (69.5%) used commercial feeds and employed (87.2%) family labour to care for their birds. Majority (77.6%) of the turkey producers used to obtain a live weight output of between 4.1 to 5.0 kg per bird. The average live weight output was 3.98 kg per bird. Result further indicated that high cost of feeds was the most severe problem faced by turkey producers in the study area. It could be concluded that turkey producers in the study area used local breed of turkey and practiced semi-intensive system of management. It is therefore recommended that interventions are necessary on better management practices and easy access to loans in order to boost turkey production through the introduction of exotic breeds in the study area.Keywords: Turkey, Breed, Flock Size, Management System, Zuru Emirat

Body Weight changes and Economic Implications of Feeding Uda Rams with graded levels of Supplementary Dietary Mineral Salt (Potash) in Tullun Gwanki Grazing Reserve, Silame Local Government Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to examine weight gain and economic implications of feeding Uda rams with graded levels of dietary mineral salt (potash) in Tullun Gwanki Grazing Reserve, Silame Local Government Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria. Tullun Gwanki Grazing Reserve was purposively selected because of the predominance of pastoralists in the area. One hundred respondents were randomly selected from list of four hundred and fifty pastoralists. All the sampled respondents were contacted and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Feeding trial using sixteen growing uda lambs in a randomized complete block design was conducted. A complete diet was formulated and divided into four treatments of four replicates per treatment; treatment A (control) without dietary mineral salt while treatments B, C and D contained potash at 1.25; 2.50 and 3.75kg/100kg diet respectively. The animals were fed ad libitum for nine weeks and daily feed and water intakes and weight gain were recorded. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting and analysis of variance. Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was used to separate the means where significant differences exist. Majority of the farmers (76.0%) practiced semi-intensive system of management and most of them (64.0%) used common salt in feeding uda rams. The average quantity of dietary mineral salt used by the pastoralists in Tullun Gwanki grazing reserve was 2.5kg /100kgdiet. Result of the experiment showed that rams on treatment D gave the highest average daily gain at a feeding level of 3.75kg/100kg diet and also gave the best result in terms of cost of feed/kg live weight gain (962.83N/kg) as compared to rams on treatments B and C. Similarly, net farm income obtained from the sale of Uda rams in treatment D was highest. Based on the outcome of the study, it was concluded that, farmers in Tullun Gwanki Grazing Reserve were yet to exploit minerals to the maximum tolerable by Uda sheep as they used 2.5kg rather than 3.75kg/100kg diet. Hence, it was recommended that 3.75kg/100kg diet should be used in Uda rams by pastoralists and animal breeders since it gave the best result in terms of profit and weight gainKeywords: Weight gain, economics, mineral salt, ,Uda rams, Tullun Gwanki Grazing Reserv