Economic Analysis of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfaria Occidentalis) Production in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study was carried out to analyze the economics of fluted pumpkin production in Ibadan metropolis. A total of 80 fluted pumpkin farmers were selected using multistage sampling method. Data were collected using a set of questionnaire. Analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire was carried out through the use of descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, profit function analysis, gross margin and multiple regression analysis. From the analysis, all the farmers interviewed were literate. From the gross margin analysis, fluted pumpkin production was found to be a profitable venture in the study area. The profit function analysis result of R2 (0.8910) showed that 89.01 percent of the variability in profit in explained by the combined effect of the variable price items in the function. This is indicative of the price variable for output price had a positive significant effect on the profit level of farmers. The regression result showed that the coefficient for farming experience was positive and significant at 5 percent level. Recommendations from the study area include among others, government should provide inputs such as chemicals and planting seed at subsidized rate to farmers and also aim at solving the problems in vegetables production.
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Introduction
Agricultural production in Nigeria is dominated by small-scale farmers who produce the bulk of the food consumed in the country. One of the major crops produced are fluted pumpkin which represent an essential part of agricultural products. Their production remains entrenched in Nigerian agriculture and forms an important condiment in the national diet (Nwangwa et al., 2007). Agriculture is considered the largest sector in Nigeria’seconomy. It employs 70 percent of the nation’slabor force, contributes at least 40 percent of the gross domestic product and accounts for over three-quarters of the non-oil foreign exchange earnings (Ajekigbe, 2007). Fluted pumpkin is avery important vegetable that is popular in West Africa. It belongs to the family Telfaria Occidentalis Hook F. cucurbitaceae. It is a leafy vegetable that produces fruits. (Enabulele and Uavbarhe, 2001). Tindall, (1989) defined leafy vegetables as herbaceous plants used for culinary purposes. They are used to increase the dietary quality of soups. The fruit on full maturity has a weight of 10kg. and an appearance of 10 distinctive longitudinal ribs on the surface. It is popular in West Africa. The edible part of this vegetable are the large red seeds, leaves and young shoots used for traditional soup. Protein rich seed can be roasted or grounded for use in porridge. The flesh of the fruit has good oil content which can be used as cooking oil.
Amongst the different vegetable foods, production and consumption of fluted pumpkin is very important because of their contribution to good health by providing inexpensive sources of minerals and vitamins needed to supplement people’sdiet which are mainly carbohydrates (Yang et al., 2002) cited in Abu and Asember (2011). Fluted pumpkin is the most important and extensively cultivated food and income generating crops in many parts of Africa (Adebisi-Adelani et al., 2011).Fluted pumpkin is avery important vegetable that is popular in West Africa. It belongs to the family Telfaria Occidentalis Hook F. cucurbitaceae . It is a leafy vegetable that produces fruits. (Enabulele and Uavbarhe, 2001).
Fluted pumpkin consumption has improved over the years and it is an important component of the daily diets of Nigerians (Okoli and Mgbeogu, 2003). Due its hypolipidemic action, it lowers blood cholesterol and thus protects from a large range of associated complications like cardiac problems, hypertension and diabetes (Margret, 2011).
Conclusion
The study revealed that there is more married male participating in fluted pumpkin production in the study area. It also revealed that most of the respondents were between the age of 31-35 years. It was found that majority of the respondents were married; few of them were single. It was also concluded that most of the respondents have 5-10 household size that could be of help in their family labour. From the gross margin analysis carried out in this study, fluted pumpkin production is said to be a profitable venture. Based on the findings of this study, the following policy recommendations are given in order to improve production efficiency of fluted pumpkin in Ibadan metropolis (IAR&T AND NIHORT), Oyo State, Nigeria. i. Government should provide inputs such as chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) planting seeds etc at subsidized rates to farmers and also aim at solving major problem of vegetables production. ii. It is advised that policies and opportunities that meets the needs of the ideal situation of farmers should be established, and not just those that favour large scale farmers only. iii. Given the low level of cash income that farmers have at their disposal, promoting or making micro finance institutions accessible to smallholder farmers could contribute immensely to the use of modern input.
