Category Archives: 2018 Journals

Profitability Analysis of Pig Production in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria

^*1Munonye, J.O and ²Nnabugwu, M

¹AE- Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo Abakaliki

²Imo State University Owerri

*munojane@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The study analyzed the profitability of piggery production in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. The specific objectives were to; ascertain the production system practiced by the farmers, determine costs and return of piggery production, determine the factors that affect piggery production and identify the constraints encountered by the farmers. Well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 30 respondents, who were purposively selected from six communities out of ten communities that made up Ihiala Local Government Area. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Gross Margin and Multiple Regression. Results show that mean farm size was 54 pigs and average of 16pigs per production cycle.  The average income generated was N2, 061, 300 and the average cost of production was N1, 382, 100. The net revenue was N679, 200.  Return on investment was 0.49 kobo per Naira Invested. Farm size and household size were significant and positively related to output at 1% and 10% with the value of 0.853 and 0.531 respectively. The major constraints encountered by the respondents were; inadequate fund (93.33%), high cost of labour (80%) and non-availability of good breed (80%). Pig farmers in the study area should form cooperative society in order to address the problem of inadequate fund.

Technical Efficiency Analysis of Rainfed maize production in Yola North and Yola South Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abdul, M.¹; Obatoyinbo, A². & Tashikalma, A.K.³

¹National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), 4, Abidoye Lane, Behind Flower Garden, GR.A. Ilorin

²Pubic Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Abuja-Kubwa Express Way, Dutse Alhaji Junction, Abuja

³Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Moddibo Adama University of Technology, Yola

Email: fatymusty2011@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study analyzed the technical efficiency of rainfed maize production in Yola North and Yola South Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 128 respondents. Data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results from socio-economic variables revealed that 76.56% of the respondents were below 50 years with mean age of 39 years and 72% of the farmers were male. Farmers’ literacy level was high, as 85.12% of them had some form of formal education with house hold size of 9 persons. The farmers cultivated an average of about two hectares of land and used personal savings as their major source of finance. The results of the maximum likelihood estimate of the parameters of production function revealed that all the independent variables were significant in varying levels except family labour. The technical efficiency indices ranged from 0.38 to 0.98 with a mean value of 0.77 implying that an average farmer in the area has the scope for increasing technical efficiency by 23% given the existing technology. Major problems identified were insufficient fund, high cost of labour and high cost of fertilizer among others. The study recommends provision of adequate farm inputs and essential services to rainfed maize farmers.

Keywords: Technical efficiency, rainfed, maize production, Yola, Adamawa, Nigeria

Determinants of Postharvest Losses among Tomato Farmers in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State

Kuranen-Joko, D. N. &   Dzahan Hilary Liambee

Department of Home & Rural Economics, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev

Department of Agricultural Extension & Management, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev

Email: dorcasnjoko@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The study determined the factors affecting postharvest losses in tomato in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Using non-probability sampling technique, 170 farmers were selected but 164 completed their questionnaire. The primary data for the study were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression, and independent samples test of means’ difference. Findings showed that tomato farming is male dominated as most families used family labour. While farming experience statistically reduced postharvest losses in tomato, farm size led to increase in postharvest losses. It was concluded that average postharvest loss among tomato farmers in Gboko LGA was quite large, as well as revenue lost due to postharvest losses. The study, therefore, recommended that both male and female farmers be trained on the management of postharvest losses in tomato; farmers with long farming experience should be involved in the training to share their experiences; and farm size should be as minimal as the farmers can manage so that postharvest losses do not increase.

Keywords: tomato, postharvest losses, Gboko, revenue, management.

Evaluation of Neem Leaf Extract (Azadirachta indica) on Growth Performance and Biochemical Profile of Broiler Finisher Chickens.

Danwe, A. B; Mufa, J. B. Finlake, E. A, Danlami A. & Forku .A.

Department of Animal Production

College of Agriculture Jalingo Taraba State, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

A four weeks feeding trail was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying levels of neem (Azardirachata indica) leaves extract on growth performance of broiler finisher chickens, 120 broiler finisher chicken were randomly weight and divided into four groups (treatment) designated as T1, T2, T3, and T4 of thirty (30) bird. Each replicated 3 times, in a completely randomized design and were administered clean drinking water with 0g, 3g, 4g and 5g neem extract respectively. All were given same basal diets of broiler finisher. The result shows that inclusion of varying neem extract did not affect feed consumption and water intake of the birds in all the treatment group. Also the result of the carcass and biochemical profile were not significant (p70.05) affected by the basal diets and neem leaf extract. This indicates that the use of neem leaf extract as supplement for antibiotic in broiler production is both safe and healthy.

Keywords: Medical value of neem leaf, Neem Leaf in animal production, plant origin, local extraction, natural and safe.

Economic Analysis of Layer Production in Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria

Zakari, H.U; Bashir, M.B; Abubakar, R.U; Lawan, U.A; and Mohammed, U.S

Department of Agricultural Extension and Management

Taraba State College of Agriculture, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.

E-mail: zakarihu@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

This study examined economic analysis of layer production in Jalingo Local Government of Taraba State. Primary data were collected from 124 farmers drawn from the area of study by a simple random sampling technique. Analysis of data was carried out through the use of descriptive statistics, multiple regression, costs and returns analysis (budgeting). The costs and returns analysis indicated that an average farmer invested annually NGN (Nigerian Naira Currency,13, 504, 352, (USD 1 is approximately NGN 205) in poultry egg production. The gross margin, net income and gross return invested where NGN 13, 874, 663.19, NGN 12,797, 772.19 and 1.95 respectively. These figures suggest that egg production in the study area was profitable. The study showed that poultry egg production was profitable in Jalingo Local Government but the farmers were not fully efficient in the use of their resources. To improve the profitability and use of resources of poultry production, it was recommended that poultry egg farmers should implement better management practices to minimize the incidence of disease outbreaks, thereby reducing the cost of production.

Keywords: Poultry Egg Production, Cost and Return, Resource Use Efficiency, Poultry Farmers

Constraints of Youths involvement in Agricultural Production in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State

Adaigho Dennis & Tibi Kentus

Department of Agricultural Extension and Management,

Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Nigeria.  

Email: adaighodennis@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study examined the constraints of youth involvement in agricultural production in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) youths were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique for the study. Twenty (20) respondents (youths) from secondary and post-secondary were selected from six (6) communities in the study area. The major problem hindering youths involvement in agriculture were identified. The finding shows the following mean scores – inadequate credit facility (x=2.883), poor return to agricultural investment (x=2.667), lack of agricultural insurance for produce during glut or unfavorable climatic conditions (x=2.667), poor basic farming knowledge of modern technique (x=2.567) and lack of access to tractors and other farm inputs (x=2.483) etc. The study recommended among others the need for provision of credit facilities with less stringent procedures and resuscitation of agricultural training centres across the state to enhance youth’s involvement in agriculture.

Key words: Constraints, youths, involvement, Agricultural production, lsoko North

Assessment of Farmers Perception on Adoption of Improved Rice (Nerica) Technology in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria

Musa, H.Y; Umar, M.R. and Zakari, H.

Department of Agricultural Ext. &Mgt.

Taraba State College of Agriculture Jalingo.

ABSTRACT The study was conducted in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeriato investigate Adoption of Rice Technology. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic variables of the respondents, determine the adoption levels of rice farmers and find out any relationship between the farmers socio-economic characteristics and their adoption constraints. Data were collected from 120 respondents drawn from the study area using multi-stage sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequencies, percentages and regression analysis. The major findings on socio-economic characteristics revealed that 34.7% of the respondents were between 31-40 years of age, 60.2 percent were males, 66.3% had attended at least primary to tertiary education, in which most of them operates farm size of 6-10 hectares. Production and on-farm constraints affecting rice development were water management and flood. Major economic constraints faced by rice farmers were lack of viable financial agencies to support production, poor capital base and non-availability of loan. Regression analysis showed that the yield of rice was negatively related to land acquisition constraints (=-0.34, p<0.05) and Technological constraints (= -0.43, p < 0.01). This study concluded that problems faced by farmers were interwoven in which existence of one relates with the other. Addressing these problems will lead to increase in the rate of adoption of improved rice production technology and ultimately rice productivity in Nigeria

Utilization of Talinum Triangulare (Water-Leaf) in Accessing the Level of some Heavy Metals in Selected Farm Sites Around Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria

¹Ebiekpe, V.E., ¹Ogwuda, U.A. and ¹Agbaghare, D.E.

¹Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Veritas University, Abuja

Corresponding author E-mail: ebivik@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Utilization of Talinum triangulare (water-leaf) in accessing the level of some heavy metals in selected farm sites around Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria was investigated using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results obtained indicated the following ranges for the metal in the farm sites soil (in mg/kg): Farm site A: Cu(0.12), Fe(0.1), Zn(2.62), Ni(0.18), Pb(0.01), Cd(0.001) and Cr(0.001); Farm site B: Cu(0.26), Fe(0.18), Zn(1.51), Ni(1.06), Pb(0.02), Cd(0.003) and Cr(0.002); Farm site C: Cu(0.03), Fe(0.13), Zn(1.84), Ni(0.51), Pb(0.06), Cd(0.006) and Cr(0.002); Farm site D: Cu(0.06), Fe(0.11), Zn(1.22), Ni(0.16), Pb(0.05), Cd(0.002) and Cr(0.002); Farm site E: Cu(1.02), Fe(0.21), Zn(2.21), Ni(0.22), Pb(0.05), Cd(0.002) and Cr(0.003).The concentrations of the metals analyzed in the different farm sites were greater than those obtained in the control sample, but however, the obtained values were all within the NAFDAC/WHO permissible limits. The effects and environmental health implications of these heavy metals on humans are also discussed.

Keywords: Talinum triangulare, Heavy metals, Permissible limit, Farm sites, Environmental health