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Optimal farm plans for sustainable environmental and economic resource use for food crop farmers in UNAAB model extension villages
Abstract
The effective and sustainable use of environmental and economic resources are essential requirements for stimulating agricultural development in the developing world. This study collected data from 60 randomly selected farmers from 4 model villages presently in use by the outreach extension arm of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) to develop optimum farm plans for food crop farmers subject to environmental and economic constraints using the linear programming model.
The study found that farm sizes in the villages varied from 1.03ha. at Ilewo-Orile to 2.67ha. at Ijemo-Fadipe. Operating expenses also varied from N13,547 at Ilewo-Orile to N52,988 at Ajura. Farmers rated the role of Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of UNABB in the farming activities as very good on a 5-point scale. The optimal farm plans indicated that the cassava/maize intercrop gave the best results in Ijemo-Fadipe and Ajura, while the cassava/melon and sole cassava enterprises were best in Ijale-Papa and Ilewo-Orile respectively. Operating expenses was found to be the most limiting factors in all the villages.
The study concluded that despite the perceived positive roles of AMREC in the farming activities of the villages, the farmers were not operating at the optimum level. It therefore recommended that optimum farm plans be derived after major extension efforts in order to estimate incremental levels of attainment.
[JEXT Vol.1(1) 2000: 44-53]
The study found that farm sizes in the villages varied from 1.03ha. at Ilewo-Orile to 2.67ha. at Ijemo-Fadipe. Operating expenses also varied from N13,547 at Ilewo-Orile to N52,988 at Ajura. Farmers rated the role of Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of UNABB in the farming activities as very good on a 5-point scale. The optimal farm plans indicated that the cassava/maize intercrop gave the best results in Ijemo-Fadipe and Ajura, while the cassava/melon and sole cassava enterprises were best in Ijale-Papa and Ilewo-Orile respectively. Operating expenses was found to be the most limiting factors in all the villages.
The study concluded that despite the perceived positive roles of AMREC in the farming activities of the villages, the farmers were not operating at the optimum level. It therefore recommended that optimum farm plans be derived after major extension efforts in order to estimate incremental levels of attainment.
[JEXT Vol.1(1) 2000: 44-53]
