Sustainable Resource Productivity in Small Scale Farming in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Rising resource prices in recent years, combined with increasing global demand for resources due to a growing population and increasing wealth, have brought the issue of resource scarcity to the forefront of the political agenda. Low level of agricultural production in Nigeria is partly due to poor resource use by small scale farmers. Efficient and sustainable use of limited agricultural production resources is therefore necessary for sustained food security. This study has been able to produce some useful results based on responses from one hundred and ten farmers interviewed in three local government areas of Kwara state. The cost and returns analysis revealed that the average gross margin of N18,975.92/ha is obtained by the farmer. The production function that gave the best fit to the specified production model was Cobb-Douglas function. By comparing the Marginal Value Product (MVP) to the Unit Factor Cost (UFC) of the resources employed, it was established that land and capital resources were over utilized. The linear programming analysis also showed   that the most profitable and sustainable crop combination in the area was maize and cassava, which had a gross margin of N108,920.80/ha.

Key words: Sustainable, Resource Productivity, Small Scale.