Field Actions Science Reports (Jan 2011)
Economics of Seed Yam Production Using Minisett Technique in Oyo State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study evaluated the economics of seed yam production using the minisett technique in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. The analysis was based on input and output data collected from sixty yam (Dioscorea spp.) farmers and the existing market price in the area. The socio-economic characteristics of the respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The structure of production costs was analyzed using percentages while gross margin analysis was used to determine the profitability of seed yam production using the minisett technique. Results of the analysis showed that seed yam production was dominated by men. The farmers had an average household size of 7.7 with a median of 7.0 and a mode of 7. Most of them were educated and had other occupations. The farmers assessed the technique as good, very good or excellent. The revenue per hectare of seed yam production was N337, 500. The total cost of production was N150,500 while the cost per seed yam was N16.72. On every naira invested in seed yam production using the minisett technique, farmers were expected to have N1.24 net returns. This shows that seed yam production using the minisett technique was a profitable venture in the study area. Labour costs alone accounted for 78.1% of the production cost. There is hence a need to deploy appropriate technologies to reduce these costs as a means of further reducing production costs and increasing the profitability of seed yams production using the minisett technique.
