Abstract

Farmers in Nigeria are faced with the problem of efficient allocation of the limited resources available to them and also identifying the best farm plans that will maximise their production and income. The study derived optimum production plans for cassava-based crop farmers in Moro and Irepodun LGAs of Kwara State, Nigeria. It specifically identified the cropping pattern of the farmers and prescribed the optimum farm plans. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 117 respondents in the area.  Data were collected through interview schedule and structured questionnaire administered to the sampled farmers. Analysis of the data collected was done using descriptive statistics and linear programming model. The study identified 15 crop production activities with 18.80% and 81.20% of the farmers practising sole and mixed cropping enterprises respectively. The linear programming solution prescribed cassava/melon, cassava/yam/maize and cassava/sorghum/groundnut on 0.4314ha, 0.2261ha and 0.7505ha respectively for the pooled data in the optimum farm plans to give a return of ₦242,548.10/ha ($1 = ₦308.28) compared to the ₦165,913.85/ha in the existing plan. It specifically prescribed cassava/yam/maize on 0.4507ha, cassava/maize/cowpea on 0.6157ha and cassava/maize/groundnut on 0.5036ha for farmers in Moro LGA to give a return of ₦241,143.50/ha; cassava/sorghum on 0.4016ha, cassava/groundnut on 0.5289ha, cassava/yam/maize on 0.3740ha and cassava/maize/okra on 0.1955ha for the farmers in Irepodun LGA to give a return of ₦240,783.20/ha. Land, labour and capital were the production factors limiting the profit maximization objective in the area. The study recommended that the farmers should adopt the prescribed optimum farm plans so as to maximize their profit and that further studies should focus on other arable crops and non-crop farm enterprises in the area.

Key Words: Cassava-based, Farmers, Resources, Planning, Optimum, Programming, Kwara

DOI: https://ejesm.org/doi/v11i1.10