Demand for energy among households in Ijebu Division, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examines the influence of householdsÂ’ socio-economic characteristics on household demand for electricity, petrol, diesel, kerosene, firewood, domestic gas, and transport in commercial vehicles. Primary data obtained in a cross-section survey of 90 households selected across six communities in Ijebu-Division of Ogun State, Nigeria was used in estimating a system of energy demand equations and elasticities. The study reveals that an average household in the sample had about five members, headed by a 52 year old male that had about nine years of formal education. The mean monthly household consumption expenditure was N 15,458.63, of which about 25% was expended on the seven commodities. While the influence of education and household size on household energy use were insignificant; income (budget size), household ownership of electrical/electronic appliances and automobiles, as well as age of household heads exercised significant influence on the relative shares of some/all of the seven energy commodities in household budgets in the study area. The income effects were positive for all the energy commodities, except firewood. Demand for petrol, diesel and domestic gas were income elastic. Thus, the study concludes that improvement in income would cause increase in demand for electricity and petroleum products in the study area, but worsening real income would place greater demand on biomass fuel.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Technical Efficiency of Poultry Egg Production in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study investigates the technical efficiency of poultry egg farmers in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo state, Nigeria. The data for the study were collected from 107 poultry egg farmers with the aid of structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics based on the objectives of the study. The results show that the mean age of the respondents was 49 years, about 89% of them were married and the majority of them are well educated. A higher percentage of them (87%) were members of cooperative society; stock their farms with a-day-old chicks (68%) and were owners of the poultry farms (61%). The Maximum Likelihood Estimates (MLEs) of the production function showed that quantity of feed and drugs significantly determined poultry egg production. The results of inefficiency model revealed that years of respondents experience in egg poultry egg production, membership of cooperative society, system of management and stock type significantly lowers farm technical inefficiency. The study recommends training of the poultry egg farmers on modern techniques of keeping layers and benefits of being membership of cooperative society

Demand for energy among households in Ijebu Division, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examines the influence of households socio-economic characteristics on household demand for electricity, petrol, diesel, kerosene, firewood, domestic gas, and transport in commercial vehicles. Primary data obtained in a cross-section survey of 90 households selected across six communities in Ijebu-Division of Ogun State, Nigeria was used in estimating a system of energy demand equations and elasticities. The study reveals that an average household in the sample had about five members, headed by a 52 year old male that had about nine years of formal education. The mean monthly household consumption expenditure was N 15,458.63, of which about 25% was expended on the seven commodities. While the influence of education and household size on household energy use were insignificant; income (budget size), household ownership of electrical/electronic appliances and automobiles, as well as age of household heads exercised significant influence on the relative shares of some/all of the seven energy commodities in household budgets in the study area. The income effects were positive for all the energy commodities, except firewood. Demand for petrol, diesel and domestic gas were income elastic. Thus, the study concludes that improvement in income would cause increase in demand for electricity and petroleum products in the study area, but worsening real income would place greater demand on biomass fuel

Economics of Horizontal Integration in Poultry Industry in South-West Nigeria

The broad objective of this study is to analyze the economics of horizontal integration in poultry production in some selected local government areas in south-west, Nigeria. Data was collected from 61 fish farmers, 40 poultry farmers and 53 integrated fish and poultry farms, making a sample size of 154 farmers using purposive-snowball sampling process. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and stochastic cost frontier were employed for data analysis. Analysis of socio-economic characteristics shows that most of the farmers in the study area are males, young within the age range of 30-<60 years and had formal education. Most of the farms are solely owned and some of the farmers are part-time farmers. Analysis of cost shows that feed account for 55.8, 68.2 and 78.9% of variable cost of production for sole fish farming, integrated poultry and fishery as well as sole poultry farming respectively. Followed closely in the same order is the cost of labour which account for 26, 6.4 and 3.7% cost of production respectively. The gross margin analysis shows that horizontally integrated poultry farms have highest gross margin (x 1,994,792.88) while the sole fish enterprise records the least gross margin of x 556,516.32. This confirms the economic importance of horizontal integration in poultry industry in terms of profitability. The price of eggs, flock size, stocked fingerlings, quantity of feed and cost of intermediate materials are the explanatory variables that influence the production cost while age of the farmers, vertical integration and sole fish farming are the determinants of economic efficiency. Key words: Horizontal integration, poultry production, economic efficienc

Enterprise Combination in Livestock Sector in Southwestern, Nigeria

Abstract: This study examined the optimal combination of enterprises in livestock industry in South-West Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was employed in collecting data from 360 livestock farmers. Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and linear programming model were employed for data analysis. Six livestock enterprises, non-integrated poultry, piggery and fishery and horizontally integrated poultry/fishery, poultry/piggery and poultry/piggery/fishery were identified. Livestock farmers in the area are aged with low level of education and large household size do not operate at optimal level based on the available resources. The budgetary analysis shows that the most profitable enterprise combination is integrated poultry and piggery while the enterprise that yielded the least net farm income is non-integrated poultry enterprise. The profitability of integrated and non-integrated livestock enterprises is limited by high cost of production in which the feed cost constitutes the lion’s share. The optimal enterprise combinations are the integrated poultry and fishery and integrated poultry/piggery enterprise with poultry/piggery combination being the most efficient. The policy implication from this study requires that both farmers and government must team up to find a means of reducing feed cost by financing livestock research centers and state agricultural development programmes to develop genetically improved breeds of livestock which efficiently converts feed. Labour as a resource was the most limited in the area, there is therefore the need for research to focus critically on indigenously automated livestock equipment that can perform tasks like feeding, vaccination, etc. Farmers in South-West Nigeria and by extension, Nigeria as a whole should concentrate and intensify their livestock combination practices especially that of poultry/piggery, which is the optimal combination enterprise and that of poultry/fishery enterprise combination because of their high profitability levels. Keywords: Livestock, Optimal, Enterprise, Combination, Linear Programmin

DETERMINANTS OF NACRDB CREDIT ACQUISITION, UTILIZATION AND REPAYMENT AMONG FARMERS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the determinants of NACRDB loan acquisition, utilization, and repayment by farmers in Yewa division of Ogun state. Primary data collected through scheduled interview with the help of a structured questionnaire as well as secondary data were used for this purpose. Descriptive analytical tools, linear discriminant function, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data collected. Results show that majority of the respondents attributed reasons for zero or partial repayment of loan to production failure due to weather, pests and diseases and poor storage (72.5%), Furthermore, the results show that the largest proportion of the loan defaulters (52.5%) use their last credit obtained for the stated reason (farming). Discriminant analysis conducted shows that the total annual income of the household head, other occupation of the respondents and membership of cooperative society are the most significant variables that discriminate between rural bank users and non-users. The regression analysis shows that the most important variable is farm size (hectares) accounting for 32% of the variations in repayment level of the credit user, while the next to it was farm income. It was suggested that NACRDB loans should be disbursed through farmers cooperative society, with adequate monitoring and supervision

Profit Efficiency in Poultry Production in Peri-Urban Lagos, Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine the profit efficiency of poultry production in four peri-urban Local Government Areas in Lagos state. A total of ninety-six poultry farms involved in the survey were selected using a two-stage sampling technique. An average farmer in the sample was 40 years old; 85% were males and 84% had tertiary education. Most poultry farm in the sample had flock size that range between 500 and 2500. Prices of all the variable inputs significantly influence the profit of poultry farms while that of fixed inputs have no significant effect. The result indicates that the poultry farmers are not fully profit efficient. The mean efficiency estimated was 72 percent indicating that there was a 23 percent allowance to improve efficiency. Furthermore, the result shows that gender, family farm, finance, number of broilers and fulltime employment are the determinants of profit (technical and allocative) efficiency. Key Words: Poultry, Production, Profit, Efficiency, Nigeri

Sweet potato production efficiency in Nigeria: Application of data envelopment analysis

This study examined Sweet Potato (SwP) production efficiency in Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in selecting 93 SwP farms in February, 2016. Data on farm and farmers’ characteristics, input and output quantities and prices, constraints to SwP production among others were collected using pre-tested, well-structured questionnaire. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit regression. The results of the analysis revealed that the mean Technical Efficiency (TE), Allocative Efficiency (AE), Economic Efficiency (EE) under Constant Return to Scale (CRS) assumption were 0.685, 0.445 and 0.301 respectively. On the other hand, the TE, AE and EE under Variable Return to Scale (VRS) assumption were 0.783, 0.604 and 0.467 respectively. The Scale Efficiency (SE) was found to be 0.877. The results indicate that access to credit increased TE of farms by 3.5%. Regular training of SwP farmers increased their AE by 10.5% and EE by 16.6%. Access to credit by farmers decreased SE of farms under CRS and VRS by 1.9% respectively. Labour shortage, poor access to improved technology and infestation by insect pests were the three most important constraints limiting SwP production in the study area. Therefore, improving the efficiency of SwP production will require policies that will see to regular training of farmers by extension agents and other stakeholders and enhancement of rural farmers’ access to credit