ABSTRACT

Specifically the study seeks to compare the profitability of cassava production among ADP and Non-ADP contact farmers in Ikwuano LGA, Abia state. lkwuano is located between latitudes 5°24 - 5°30N and longitudes 7°32 - 7°37E. The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in 2002 made a bold policy shift that gave the production of cassava an unprecedented attention with particular emphasis on its large scale production, but this concern of the government is far from being a reality in the study area, given tine level of inefficiency in resource use reported by Ohajianya (2006), Onyenweaku and Nwaru (2005). This is rather worrisome regarding the fact that the ADP which has become the Kingpin of the Governments Agricultural Development Initiatives, with an overall objective of raising the income levels and standards of living of the small independent farmers who controlled 90% of crop production and land; had existed for over a decade with little or no impact in the study area. More so, profit defines the overall aim of any farm business enterprise, but cassava farmers in the study area cannot breakeven let alone attain profit maximization in the enterprise. Data for the analysis was collected through the aid of a well structured questionnaire; a random sample of 2 clans was made from the 4 clans that make up lkwuano LGA in the first stage. In the second stage, 2 autonomous communities were randomly chosen from the 2 clans; and a total of 20 cassava farmers (comprising 1OADP and 10Non-ADP) were randomly selected from the communities respectively, making a total of 80 cassava farmers for a detailed study. Objectives I and IV were analyzed using descriptive statistics of means and frequency distribution. Objective II was first analyzed with Whole Farm Analysis and finally executed with Regression Analysis. While objective lll.was executed with the student's t-test. The results of the findings showed that the profit of the ADP farmers is significantly different from the Non-ADP farmers. The results also show that the inputs provided by the ADP had effect on the profitability of cassava production but were not the major determinants of profitability of cassava production in the area. The socio-economic characteristics of the farmers are related to profitability. The ADP should make available improved cuttings, fertilizers and agrochemicals to the farmers at a subsidized rate and the government should create an enabling environment that will engender efficient marketing of the commodity and encourage the farmers towards increased productivity and profit maximization at reduced costs of production.