Economic Analysis of Cassava Flour and Garri Production in Ibarapa Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cassava, an edible root crop and a reliable and relatively inexpensive source of carbohydrate, is widely grown and processed into different foods such as cassava flour and garri. The study analyzed the costs and returns in cassava flour and garri production and also determined the factors influencing its production in the study area. A two- stage sampling technique was used to generate primary data used for this study. The first stage involved the purposive selection of Ibarapa North Local Government Area (LGA), because it has more cassava producers and processors than other LGAs. The second stage involved the random selection of 15 villages out of the 23 in the LGA. From the selected villages, 170 respondents were randomly selected while only 150 copies of the structured questionnaire administered were retrieved. Results from the primary data shows that 28.3% of garri producersproducers had no formal education and 46.7% were between the ages of 30 and 39years. The regression analysis shows that the quantity of garri sold (ß =5.4099), transportation cost (ß =-0.2994), peeling cost (ß = -0.4249), and grating cost (ß = 0.6878) were all significant to the total revenue of cassava flour sold. Price, inadequate capital, transportation, land tenure and markets were factors influencing garri and cassava flour production. Analysis of the costs and returns revealed that processing cassava into garri gave a higher gross margin even though processing of cassava was profitable, indicating that there is a significant difference between flour and garri production. Inputs, market, good and infrastructural facilities should be provided so as to increase production capacity and hence food security.
 Keywords: Cassava, Cassava flour, Garri, Gross margin, Nigeria

FACTORS AFFECTING INDIGENOUS PROCESSING OF CASSAVA INTO FLOUR (Alibo) AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN SHENDAM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

“…The mean age of the respondents is 31.8years. This is in conformity with the findings of Adeolu and Akinola (2007) whose studies pointed out that the women processing cassava in Doma local government area of Nasarawa state was young and able bodied. Thus, indigenous processing of cassava into flour in the study area could be said to be mostly done by young and middle aged women.…”

Technical Efficiency of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp) Production in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

“…The rate of return of 2.84 indicates that every 1 naira invested in soybeans production will yield N2.84 returns on investment which covers profit, taxes, commissions, and other expenses incur in the process of cowpea production in the study area. This is in line with [28] and [29] who reported in their research that those positive values of gross margin and farm income indicate that the enterprise is profitable, this result is also consistent with findings of [30] who asserted that farm business production was profitable based on the fact that an average farmer in the area investigated recorded over 100 percent returns on investment.…”