The rural areas in Nigeria are worse hit by poverty which is a ban on the standard of living on the people. Fluted Pumpkin (TelfariaOccidentalis) is a crop produced for the economic importance of its leaves, fruits, seeds to the citizenry. This study therefore sought to examine the Resource-Use Efficiency of Fluted Pumpkin (TelfariaOccidentalis) Production as aid to poverty alleviation in Isoko South Local Government Area, South-South part of Nigeria. Cross-sectional data were obtained through well structure questionnaire administered to 60 fluted pumpkin farmers drawn using simple random sampling technique from the study area during the 2015 production season. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, poverty line analysis, efficiency ratio analysis, and a 3-Point Likert Scale Rating. Results showed that majority (40%) of the respondents were within the age bracket of 31>40 years, with mean age of 38.9years while 66.7% of the respondents were females. 53.3% had farming experience of 1-5years, with mean value of 4.88years. 58.3% had 1-4 persons in their household size, with mean value of 4 persons. The efficiency ratio of hired labour (0.683), quantity of seed used (0.167), quantity of herbicide used (0.109), portrayed that these resources were over-utilized. Also the efficiency ratio of family labour (1.474 ) and quantity of fertilizers used (6.087 ), showed that the farmers were inefficient in the use of these resources.The poverty level analysis indicated that 20% of the studied population was within the extremely poor group while 70% were within the moderately poor group and only 10% fell within the group of non-poor. The results also revealed the major constraints faced by farmers to include: lack of access to credit facilities, high cost of transportation, lack of storage facilities, and scarcity of viable seeds; it is therefore recommended that the government and financial institutions should provide credit facilities to the farmers for improved yields and efficient resource-use of inputs in the production of fluted pumpkin in the study area.
Keywords: Farmers, Fluted Pumpkin, Nigeria, Poverty analysis, Resource Use
