Original Research Article
Year: 2020 | Month: April | Volume: 7 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 394-405
Pig Farmers’ Socioeconomic Characteristics as Determinant to Pig Production and Profitability in the Tropics
Ume S I1, Onwujiariri E B2, Nnadozie AKO1
1Department of Agricultural Extension and Management. Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
2Department of Animal Production Technology. Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area Ebonyi State, Nigeria,
Corresponding Author: Ume S I
ABSTRACT
Socioeconomic characteristics of pig farmers as determinants to their production and profitability in Imo State of Nigeria were studied. The specific Objectives will be to; describe the socioeconomic characteristics of pig farmers, identify the pig production systems in the study area; determined the effect of socioeconomic characteristics of pig farmers on their profit; estimate the costs and returns in pig production ; identify and analyze the constraints to pig production in the study area. Multi-stage random sampling technique will be used to ninety (90) pig farmers for detail study. The information used for this study were derived from structured questionnaire and secondary sources from conferences papers, seminar, journals, published and unpublished thesis and workshop.. The objectives i, ii and vi were captured using percentage response and frequency distribution table. The objective iii and iv were addressed using Gross margin analysis and Cobb Douglas production function respectively. The result of the socioeconomic characteristics were the sampled farmers were males, aged, educated, used more of family labour, large household size and experienced, most pig farmers engaged in intensive rearing and the least was use of extensive method and most farmers were into Farrow to finish enterprises, while the least was animal breeding. The results of Cobb Douglas production function that had positive relation to pig farming profitability were piglet type, rearing experience, membership of organization and cost of medication. The pig farmers in the study area were operating in stage 1 (irrational stage), which is not at optimum scale of their production, as they had return scale, 3.0141 which is greater than unitary. Pig production was profitable in the study area with gross revenue was N740, 000 per sampled farmer and Net farm income of N334, 542. The limiting factors to pig production in the study area were high cost of feed, high cost of housing, problems of marketing of the products, high cost of labour and poor access to credit Among the recommendations proffered were the need to enhance farmers access to credit through commercial banks, motivation of extension agent through paying them their local transportation incurred while discharging their duties is very import and ensure that farmers have access to genuine drugs
Keywords: Socioeconomic Characteristics; Pig Farmers; Determinant; Pig Production; Profitability
[PDF Full Text]