ISSN 2375-088X
African Journal of Soil Science ISSN: 2375-088X Vol. 3 (3), pp. 091-096, March, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Economic analysis of selected food crops in Ile-Ife of Osun State, Nigeria
Adisa O. D.* and Sofoluwe N. A.
Department of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 08034828473.
Accepted 8 April, 2013
Abstract
Studies showed that young farmers are not attracted to the production of food crops which is central to the reduction of poverty and food security among poverty ridden populace of Osun State. This study analyzes the economic factors responsible for productivity of selected food crops in Osun State. Factors influencing the level of production as well as problems militating against the production of the selected food crops in the study area were examined. Purposively, sampled data were collected from 100 farming households. Budgetary analysis and four functional forms of ordinary least square (OLS) were fitted to the data. Results showed that farm size allocated to crops imposes a positive and significant influence on return. The cost-benefit ratio to food crops are 0.65, 1.22 and 0.44 for cassava, maize and yam, respectively. Capital was the major constraints to food crop production in the study area for all the crops studied. It was concluded that yam production was more profitable but less cultivated compared to cassava. Farmers especially the young ones need to be financially encouraged to cultivate more of these crops and reduce the family size in order to sustain the productivity of these food crops.
Key words: Food crops, food security, productivity.