Information on economics of production of minor vegetables is largely limited. This is the case for waterleaf [Talinum triangulare (Jacq). Wild]. Farm-level, output-oriented technical efficiency indices were estimated by fitting stochastic production frontier functions to survey data collected from waterleaf producers. By use of the Maximum Likelihood analysis, asymptotic parameter estimates were evaluated to describe efficiency determinants. The most critical production factors were labor, irrigation, and use of organic manure. The mean efficiency term, 0.65, indicates that waterleaf output could be increased with available technology. Some socioeconomic factors were evaluated to determine their influences on the ability of producers to be E. J. Udoh and N. A. Etim are affiliated with the

The study is an attempt to examine the influence of macroeconomic variables on the growth of fishery sub-sector in Nigeria. The study covers the period from 1961 and 2017. The results apparently revealed that aquaculture production, artisanal fish production, and total fish production, grew exponentially at the rate of 8.90%, 3.75%, and 4.25% respectively. To be more precise, various other factors like, demand shocks, food imports, and variable exchange rate, affected artisanal fish production in the long-run; while exchange rate and demand shocks were significant in the short-run period. For the aquaculture production, demand shocks, credit potential, inflation, food imports, and exchange rate were some significant policy variables in the long-run; whereas demand shocks and exchange rate were also significant in the short-run period. Finally, as far as the total fish production is concerned, demand shocks, food imports, and exchange rate were significantly trending variables, both in the short and long-run periods. To promote fish production in Nigeria, fish imports should be gradually restricted and the economic system regulated to ensure the stability of naira exchange for the US dollar.

The study estimated the constant elasticity of substitution of fertilizer for manure in arable crop production in Akwa Ibom State. The approximation of the generalized constant elasticity of substitution (CES) model using Taylor's expansion series yielded a linear equation that was estimated using OLS method. The CES parameters were estimated through a system of coefficients relationship and were later used to calculate the constant elasticity of substitution for each crop enterprise. Empirical results revealed that, waterleaf has constant elasticity of substitution less than unity: while pumpkin and maize had constant elasticity of substitution greater than unity. Increased supply of fertiliser and repackage extension services were recommended as these would help to increase fertiliser use as well as growth rate of crops in the state.

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The study focuses on evaluating factors that farmers consider relevant in adopting cassava production in five semi-arid zone of West African countries. The study is based on primary data randomly collected as part of collaborative study of cassava in semiarid zones of Africa (COSCASSA) village level survey from five West African countries namely: Nigeria, Ghana, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso. This study models effects of farm, farmer and technology specific factors on the decision of semi arid farmers to adopt cassava into their farming system. By way of threshold decision models-Probit and Logit models, the estimation of each country and the pooled data adoption models reveal different adoption models for the countries considered. For each country, different variables appeared as major adoption shifters. Comparatively, the adoption models for Nigeria and whole region appear to have the highest significance variables, being seven in number. This is followed by Chad (6), Ghana (4), and Burkina Faso and Niger with three each. For the variables considered, distance to nearby urban market appears a major adoption shifter in all the country, except for Niger. This is closely followed by contact with extension, variety, pest/disease resistance and livestock feeds, which appear significant in four of the countries. Membership of cooperative societies appears as the least adoption predictor, which is only significant in Chad republic. The study therefore recognizes the importance of varietial characteristics and farmers' characteristics in acceptance of cassava as a major root tuber crop in the semi arid region of West Africa.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.