Economics of cowpea production under small-scale cowpea enterprise in Agricultural Zone I of Niger State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This paper analyses the economics of small-scale cowpea farmers in agricultural zone 1of Niger State. A sample of 158 farm households selected using simple random sampling technique were used to generate primary data. Results show that most (87%) of the farmers were male and within the active age of 20 and above. About 47% of them had no formal education, while 53% have one form of education or the other. The average farm size was 2.8ha while the average yield was 5,041.47 kg/ha. The average variable cost, average fixed cost and average net farm income per hectare were N28,839.30, N3,160.45 and N30,463.10, respectively. The results of production function analysis revealed that, farm size, labour, agro-chemical and capital were important in explaining the variation in output of cowpea production in the study area. Pests and diseases, non-passable roads and inadequate finance were the major problems militating against cowpea production. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that, the study area had great potential to increase cowpea production and farmer’s income, if efforts are made for the widespread adoption of new technologies and identified constraints are addressed. However, effort should be made to mobilize and encourage farmers to form cooperatives so that they can pool their resources together to increase their scale of operation. Also government should make production inputs like improved seeds and agro-chemicals available to farmers at the right time at subsidized rates because production inputs were some of the important limiting resources that adversely affected cowpea production in the study area.