Abstract

This study evaluated elasticities of production and socio-economic factors influencing output of soyabean production, Abuja, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used. One hundred (100) soyabean farmers were selected. Data were of primary sources. Data were collected with the aid of well-designed and well-structured questionnaire. Analytical tools used for data analysis were: descriptive statistics, farm budgetary technique, financial analysis, Cobb-Douglas production function model, elasticities of production, return to scale, and principal component analysis. The results show that 81% of soyabean farmers were between 31 to 50 years of age. The mean age was 43 years. The soyabean farmers are smallscale farmers with an average farm size of 4.5 hectares of planted soyabean farm land. The gross margin and net farm income were 1,087,200 Naira per hectare and 1,080,850 Naira per hectare respectively. The gross margin ratio of 0.86 implies that for every one naira invested in soyabean production, 86 kobo covered taxes, interest, profits, expenses, and depreciation. The socio-economic factors statistically and significantly influencing output of soyabean production were age , household size  , and marital status  at  respectively. In addition, farm size, gender , and farming experience  statistically and significantly influence output of soyabean production at  respectively. The return to scale  of soyabean production was calculated at 1.6701, this signifies increasing return to scale. Increasing return to scale implies that increasing production inputs will lead to more than proportionate increase in output of soyabean production. The retained constraints militating against soyabean production in the principal component analysis were: poor road infrastructures, lack of credit facilities, lack of improved seeds, lack of extension services, and high cost of fertilizers. The study recommends that government should provide: credit facilities, improved soyabean seeds, adequate fertilizers, and extension services for disseminations of research findings to soyabean farmersKey Words: Elasticities of Production, Socio-Economic Factors, Soyabean Production, Niger