ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF YAM PRODUCTION AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the economic performance of yam production among smallholder farmers in Ilesha West Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Data were collected with the aid of pre-tested questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, profitability ratios and multiple regression model. Results revealed that majority (96.7%) of the yam farmers were male, educated (93.3%) with a mean age of 51 years, household size of 6 persons and cultivated an average of 1.2 hectares of farm land. Results of the gross margin analysis and profitability ratios indicated that yam production was a profitable and economically viable enterprise with a net farm income of ₦91,711.23 and 30K returns on every naira invested in yam production in the study area. Education, household size, farm size and access to loan were the factors influencing yam income in the study area. Therefore, loan facilities should be made available and accessible to the farmers at no or low interest rates to expand their business and increase their income in the study area