DETERMINATION OF PROFITABILITY AND RESOURCE-USE EFFICIENCY OF YAM PRODUCTION BY WOMEN IN BOSSO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the profitability and resource-use efficiency of yam production in Bosso Local Government of Niger State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select women farmers that were used for the study. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire administered to the women farmers. Data analyses were done using farm budgeting, multiple regression and MVP/MFC ratio. Result of the farm budgeting revealed that farm labour was the most important cost item accounting for 45.97% of the total cost of yam production by women. A net profit of N10, 314.32/ha was realized representing 27.96% of the total cost/ha. Result of the multiple regression showed that fertilizer(P<0.01), labour (P<0.01) and farmsize (P<0.05) have had significant positive contributions to the farm output. However, result of the MVP/MFC ratio test revealed that both farm size, fertilizers and farm labour were underutilized by the yam producing women farmers. It was then concluded that, although yam production activity of the women was profitable, the level of productivity was not at optimum. In order foor them to produce at the optimum level, however, the levels of farm size, fertilizers and farm labour use should be increased.