Costs and Returns Analysis Associated with Egg Production among Small Holder Poultry Farmers in Ngor Okpala Local Government Council of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The costs and returns analysis associated with egg production among small holder poultry farmers in Ngor Okpala Local Government Council of Imo State, Nigeria was evaluated. Primary data were collected from 30 farmers drawn from the study area using multi stage, purposive and random sampling techniques. Analysis of data was carried out with the use of descriptive statistics, net income analysis and profitability ratios. The result revealed that majority of the farmers are male (76.67 %) and 83.33 % were married. Majority of the farmers 83.33 % had post primary education. 96.67 % of the small holder poultry farmers are in their active working age of between 21 and 60 years with most of them 90 % having over 5years experience in egg production with an average bird size of 268. The net income analysis indicated that an average farmer invested annually N1, 931,634.50 in poultry egg production with a total return of N 2,325,573.13. The gross margin and net income were N491, 557.63 and N393, 938.63 respectively. These figures suggest that egg production in the study area is a profitable venture. The result further revealed that disease outbreak, high cost of feed, high cost of vaccine and drugs, high mortality rate, egg spoilage and poor power supply were identified as the problems hindering egg production in the study area. The study therefore recommends that extension agents should intensify effort to educate small holder poultry farmers about improved management practices that will lead to reduction of disease outbreak and affordable drugs and vaccine should be made available to the farmers at a substituted price by government. Government should develop and enforce livestock feeds standards in order to protect farmers from dubious feed millers.