E C O N O M I C S O F C O W P E A P R O D U C T I O N I N S E L E C T E D V I L L A G E S OF K A T S I N A A N D Z A M F A R A S T A T E S U N D ER I N D I G E N O U S A N D I M P R O V ED P R A C T I C E S .
E C O N O M I C S O F C O W P E A P R O D U C T I O N I N S E L E C T E D V I L L A G E S OF K A T S I N A A N D Z A M F A R A S T A T E S U N D ER I N D I G E N O U S A N D I M P R O V ED P R A C T I C E S .
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Date
1998-04
Authors
R A H M A N, S h e h u A b d u l
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Abstract
Cowpea is an important food crop which gives variety to diet as well
as contributing proteins, carbohydrates and other valuable nutrients. It
is mostly grown by small-scale farmers as a mixed crop with cereals,
especially in the Guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria. Intercropping
is considered to be one of the major factors contributing to cowpea low
production, but most farmers still prefer to continue practising it. Low
production of cowpea is also attributed to insect pests which often affect
the plant throughout its life cycle. Cowpea growers have for long
recognised the usefulness of conventional insecticides, but factors such as
availability and cost have kept this technology beyond their reach.
Insecticides from Neem leaves are safe, readily available and could bring
better crop yields.
The study evaluated cowpea production under both indigenous and
improved practices to ascertain their economic profitability, technical
feasibility and social acceptability. Thirty farmers were purposively
selected from two farming villages in the Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria
for the study.
The results indicate that cowpea/millet mixture was the most
profitable enterprise. It provided the highest yield of cowpea (308kg/ha)
when compare with other cropping systems. The gross margin obtained
from the cowpea/millet mixture was N5966/ha. The net farm income for the
use of Neem leaf extracts to control insect pests on cowpea was N4079/ha
and for the conventional insecticides was N6069/ha. About 50% of the
farmers believed that they can increase their crop yields and net incomes
with the use of Neem leaf extracts.
It was recommended that low-cost technology should be developed,
especially In the areas of inject pests control to encourage farmers in
order to increase cowpea production. There is need for further research
to improve the effectiveness of Neem leaf extracts by determining its
chemical properties to facilitate the recommendation of appropriate dosage
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO
UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND RURAL SOCIOLOGY,
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
April , 1998
Keywords
ECONOMICS,, COWPEA,, PRODUCTION,, SELECTED,, V I L L A G E S,, K A T S I N A,, Z A M F A R A,, S T A T E S,, U N D ER,, I N D I G E N O U S,, I M P R O V ED,, P R A C T I C E S .