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Abstract

This study investigated the economic analysis of small holder sheep production in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State. Specifically, the study described the socio-economic characteristics of small holder sheep farmers, estimated the profitability of sheep production, examined the factors influencing sheep production and identified the constraints militating against sheep production in the study area. A total of 120 small holder sheep farmers were purposively and randomly selected for the study. Data collected through structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics, net farm income analysis and multiple regression analysis.  The results showed that sheep production in the study area was generally practiced by majority of farmers (93 %) who were in their active age of between 21 – 60 years and the majority (75 %) of the sheep farmers had farming experience of 6years and above. Sheep production in the area was profitable with a positive net profit of N 1,503,972.00. The regression analysis showed that sheep number, foundation stock cost and medication cost were directly related to the revenue of sheep farmers and significant at 1% and 5 %, respectively. The major constraints militating against sheep production in the area were: high cost of feed (91.7 %), high cost of transportation (87.7 %), inadequate capital (79.2 %), diseases infestation (76.7 %), scarcity of labour 75.8 %), high cost of veterinary drugs (74.2 %) and water shortage (72.5%). It was recommended that the sheep farmers should form a cooperative society so that they can pool their resources together to solve some of the identified problems such as high cost of feed, high cost of transportation and inadequate capital.

Keywords: Smallholders, Sheep production, Profitability, Regression and constraints