OPTIMAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN YAM-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN YORRO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF TARABA STATE NIGERIA
2020
Dengle Yuniyus GIROH
Rising rural population densities in Nigeria are profoundly affecting farming systems with localized land pressures being experienced by many rural farmers. This study was conducted to examine optimal resource allocation in Yambased cropping systems among farmers in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. Primary data used for the study were collected from 142 farmers using structured interview schedule. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and linear programming model. Results revealed that respondents were small-scale farmers characterized by large family size and were well experienced in farming with a mean farming experience of 23 years. Respondents adopted mixed cropping as a result of scarcity of land and to avoid crop failure. Profitability analysis revealed that yam based cropping systems were profitable where Yam/Cowpea/Sorghum had the highest gross margin of N372,500.00 followed by Yam/Maize/Groundnut/Cowpea (N362,990.00) respectively. Linear programming model recommended yam/cowpea/sorghum and yam/maize/groundnut/cowpea out of the five enterprises. For yam/cowpea/sorghum, the existing plan allocated 2.36 ha while the optimal plan obtained from the programming recommended 4.37ha. For yam/maize/groundnut/cowpea, the existing plan allocated 2.08ha while the optimal plan recommended 1.11ha. The optimal farm plan recommends that yam-based farmers should allocate resources in such a way that the two crop enterprises are produced according to this hectarage allocation to maximize Total Gross Margin of N2,031,084.08/ha.
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