An Economic Assessment of Plantain Production in Rivers State, Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2011-01-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study examined the profitability and resource-use of plantain production in Nigeria, using
Rivers State Nigeria as a case study. The study sample respondents comprised eighty 80 plantain producing
households. These were selected randomly across River State. The gross margin and regression analysis
were used to analyse the farmers’ plantain production data. The result showed that the plantain farmers in
the study area are aged and of poor literacy status Gross margin per hectare of plantain averaged
N34,317.00 while net farm income averaged N31,267. Rate of returns on investment and rate of return on
capital invested are 173 and 73 per cent respectively implying that plantain production is a profitable and
viable venture. The OLS regression estimate showed that labour did not significantly influence plantain
output. However land and planting material: sucker are shown to enhance plantain production Theft, bad
roads, poor producer prices and high cost of fertilizer were reportedly the constraints to plantain
production. The study therefore recommends subsidy on fertilizer, group marketing of plantain by farmers
themselves via their cooperative, provision of basic rural infrastructural (road) and the rehabilitation of
existing ones, so as to better rural life thereby attracting youth population to the rural areas for plantain
production
Description
Keywords
Resource, Gross margin