Analysis of Factors Determining Yam Production in Ikole-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti-State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed the factors determining yam production in Ikole-Ekiti LGA in Ekiti-State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was employed in collecting data from (70) yam farmers in the study area. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequencies, percentages and likert scale. Linear regression was also employed. Results on socio economic characteristics of the respondents showed that age range of 41-50 years had the highest % with 38.57% showing that most of the yam farmers were in their active age range. Most of the yam farmers had secondary school level of education as their highest level of education with 45.71%, meaning that ideas and innovations introduced to these yam farmers will easily be understood, also about 50% of the yam farmers had household size of 4-6 persons showing they have fairly available labour in the cultivation of yams in the study area while 45.72% of the respondents had 0.6-1.0 hectares of land showing that yams were cultivated on a subsistence level. The results on extent of involvement of respondents in yam production showed that the respondents participated in yam minisett cutting with mean value of 4.20 which marked the highest level of involvement in the likert scale rating, followed by planting yam minisett (4.05), weeding of farm (3.92), fertilizer application (3.90), ridging of land (3.40), harvesting of yam (3.35), while farmers who did not participate in land clearing had mean of (1.40). The linear regression analysis showed factors influencing yam production in the study area; were marital status, age, household size, farm size and farming experience with an R² value of 73.9% and they were all positive and significant implying that if these variables were increased they will increase yam output. In the study area the major constraints in yam production were difficulty in procuring fertilizer with mean of (2.78), high incidence of disease (2.58), inadequate farmland (2.55) and poor extension contact had mean of (2.50) and this findings therefore calls for policies that will provide adequate farmlands and also mitigate constraints of lack of agrochemicals and inadequate extension visits to these yam farmers so as to enhance productivity.