ABSTRACT
One of the major problems associated with Fluted pumpkin leave production is that it's supply has not meant with high demand, hence it is important to analyze the profitability of fluted pumpkin leaves so as to encourage more people into the business to increase production or encourage those in the business to produce more. The study analyzed the profitability of Fluted pumpkin leaves production in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State. Specifically, it described the socio-economic characteristics of Fluted pumpkin leaves farmers in the study area, estimated the profit of Fluted pumpkin leaves in the study area, estimated the determinants of profit among the pumpkin leave farmers and also identified the constraints faced by fluted pumpkin leaves farmers in the study area.
Data for the study were obtained from 80 Fluted pumpkin leaves farmers in the study area using a two stage sampling procedure and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean, frequency count, percentages, budgetary techniques, and multiple regression model.
Findings from the study showed that many (52 .2%) of Fluted pumpkin leaves farmers were females, and most (72.5%) were married. The results also showed that Fluted pumpkin farmers had a mean age of 42 years; and also, the mean value for household size was 6.01. The findings also showed that (71.3%) of Fluted pumpkin leaves farmers produced pumpkin leaves on a full time basis; (77.5%) of the pumpkin farmers inherited their lands and (81.3%) made use of organic fertilizer in the study area. The profitability analysis indicated that the fixed cost constituted (25.98%) of the total cost of Fluted pumpkin leaves while variable cost constituted (74.0%). On the average, a farmer in the study area incurred a total cost of ₦73,988.48 in the production of Fluted pumpkin leaves and had a total revenue of ₦230,528.04 giving a net profit of ₦156,542.77 per hectare. The ROI of the farmer was found to be 2.12. The Cobb-Douglas model was chosen as the lead function and gave an R2 of (0.72). The result further indicated that farm size (β= 0.665) and level of experience (β= -0.164) were significant at1%level of significance while cost of production (β= 0.168) was significant at 5% and had an influence on the profit level of Fluted pumpkin farmers. The result also revealed that the major constraints affecting the farmers were lack of government support (mean=2.73), inadequate capital (mean=2.71), high cost of herbicide (mean=2.70), cost of transportation (mean=2.52), and poor storage facilities (mean=2.40) amongst others. It is therefore recommended that the government and financial institutions should provide credit facilities to the farmers and also subsidize the cost of farm inputs in order to enhance the production of Fluted pumpkin leaves in the study area.
