Economic analysis of dry season okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) production in Kaduna South Local Government Area, Kaduna State

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the profitability of dry season okra production in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State. To achieve this, the inputs-output relationship, costs and returns and the constraints to dry season okra production were examined. A multistage sampling technique was used to select eighty dry season okra farmers from four districts purposively selected from where two villages were randomly selected then ten farmers each were randomly selected. The primary data used for this study were obtained through the use of structured questionnaire administered to a total of eighty okra farmers from of the study area. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics, gross margin, and multiple regression analyses. The results show that the mean age of the farmers was 32 years, 96.26% were married and 40% had a minimum of secondary education. The average farming experience of the farmers was 12.6years and they put in about 22.20 man-days to cultivate an average farm size of 0.67ha and obtained a yield of 7.3tonnesper hectare. Dry season okra farming was found to be profitable with a gross margin of N244,399.0/ha and a return to investment of 3.98. The multiple regression results showed that farming experience, labour, farm size and agrochemicals had positive relationships with the output, however, only the latter two were significant at 1% level of Probability. The highest ranked constraints to okra production were high cost of inputs, inadequate capital, and prevalence of pests and diseases and. inadequate extension services. The study therefore recommends that cheap and effective machineries should be developed to ease cultivation and irrigation. There should be increased and regular extension visits to assist the farmers to cope with the menace pest and disease cases.