Determinants Of Agricultural Credit Supply To Farmers In The Niger Delta Area Of Nigeria

For effective administration of agricultural credit, financial institutions while granting credit to farmers for agricultural purposes consider a number of factors. This paper focused on the evaluation of the critical factors that are considered by financial institutions in disbursement of credit to farmers in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. Data for this study was collected from 20 formal and informal financial institutions operating in the study area. They were randomly selected and structured questionnaires were administered to them and interview schedule. The determinants of credit supply for agricultural purposes were found to be profitability of the investment, level of assets of the farmer-borrower interest rate, availability of credit, loan transaction costs, and level of risk bearing. Results show that the availability of credit was considered an extremely important factor in the supply of agricultural credit to farmers. However transaction costs was observed to be the least important factor considered by financial institutions in order to supply credit to farmer sin Niger Delta area of Nigeria. Key words: Determinants, Agricultural credit supply, farmers, Niger Delta Journal Of Agriculture And Social Research Vol. 5 (1) 2005: 67- 7

Determinants Of Rural Agricultural Financing By The United Bank For Africa And The Need For Extension Services In Imo State, Nigeria

This study examined the determinants of rural agricultural financing by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the need for extension services in Imo State, Nigeria. Eighty (80) rural farmer loan beneficiaries from the UBA were sampled and administered with structured questionnaire. Results showed that the major significant determinant was the availability and the use of extension services by the bank. This factor is the only one that was significant at (1%). Other factors significant at 5% level include; number of dependants educational level of beneficiaries and type of agricultural activity. It is therefore recommended that extension services should form a major component in designing, formulation and administration of loans to prospective rural loan farmer beneficiaries. Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol.1(1) 2005: 97-10

Profitability Of Pineapple Marketing In Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

The study article examined the profitability of pineapple marketing in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Owerri was purposively chosen because there are markets in the city where pineapple is traded and the inhabitants purchase and consume them. Data collected was from sixty randomly selected marketers of pineapple. Quesstionnaire was the instrument of data collection. Descriptive statistics, flow chart and net margin principle were used to analyse the data. The result of the field data showed that that the major flow for pineapple marketed in Owerri was producers to wholesalers, to retailers and finally consumers. The marketing and gross margin for pineapple was N25601/ tonne and N18682/tonne respectively. The total cost of marketing pineapple including imputed cost was N50581.23/tonne and the gross return was N60285/tonne. The net return for management and risks was N9703.77/tonne. Efficiency of marketing was 1:70 or 70%. Pineapple marketing had constraints with high cost ranked very highly.Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences Vol. 3 (2) 2005 pp. 151-15

Efficiency Of Resources Used In Yam-Based Cropping Systems In Ekiti State, South Western Nigeria

The efficiency and profitability of yam-based cropping systems in Ekiti State was investigated using 120 randomly selected farming households. Descriptive statistics, costs and returns and regression model were employed as analytical tools. The results revealed yam-based cropping systems were profitable in the study area with return per hectare highest in yam/maize system and lowest in yam/pepper system. Return on capital employed washowever highest in yam/vegetable/maize system with capital turnover of 86kobo per a naira invested in the enterprise. Regression results revealed labour in mandays, farm size and other variable inputs as the significant factors influencing yam production in the area. These are targets for policy formulation.Keywords: Yam-based cropping systems, profitability, resource-use efficienc

Economics of Dry Season Vegetable Production by Women Farmers in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, South East Nigeria- A Case Study of Telfairia Occidentalis

The study was designed to analyze the economics of dry season vegetable farming among women farmers in Owerri West local government area of Imo State, South Eastern Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from 50 randomly selected dry season women vegetable farmers. Data were analyzed using net return, and multiple regression models. Results show that the net return of dry season women vegetable farming business is profitable. Factors influencing the dry season women vegetable farmers include age, marital status, educational level, farm size and household size. Farmers are encouraged to engage in the dry season women vegetable farming business to improve their income