ECONOMICS OF SMALL-SCALE POULTRY EGG PRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

The general objective of this study is to evaluate the economics of small-scale poultry egg production in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area Edo State, Nigeria with the application of Gross margin for analysis. The Specific objectives are to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of egg producers, estimate the cost and returns and to identify the constraints involved in poultry egg production in the study area. Primary and secondary data were obtained from farmers. A purposive sampling of small-scale poultry egg producers was carried first in the study area. Then a simple random sampling and snowballing techniques were then employed to select 50 poultry egg producers using a well-structured questionnaire from the entire population of small-scale farmers. Data collected were coded and analysed using descriptive statistics such as means and percentages were using to examine the socioeconomic characteristics. The gross margin analysis was used to estimate the cost and returns. While the constraints to poultry egg production was analyzed using the likert scale technique. The result of the analysis reveals that the average number of eggs produced in crates is 407.5, culled birds average number of 193 while poultry droppings average number of 5.4 bags of 50 kg. The study also shows that 40% and 60% of women and men respectively of poultry eggs producer have an average number of 477 birds farm size. The result of the study reveals that the fixed cost for production is ₦271,521.80 and total variable cost was ₦634,254.99. The study also reveals that total revenue from the sales of eggs and other sources xi were ₦1,524,324.349 with a gross margin per bird of ₦890,069.359 and a profit of ₦618,549.179. Finally, the major constraints faced by the farmers are in the order, high cost of feed, high cost of transportation, inadequate finance, low demand, spoilage of eggs, inadequate storage, high mortality, theft and scarcity of feed.