Effects of Dehulling On the Mineral Elements Content of Some Cereals (Maize, Millet, And Guinea Corn) (Published)
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of its grains which are composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. However, to improve palatability and organoleptic qualities, most grains undergo further processing to yield better product, this processing includes dehulling, winnowing which may alter the nutritional composition of the resultant products to varying degree. The present study investigated the effect of dehulling on mineral content of cereals. Mineral elements composition in the undehulled and dehulled millet were: potassium (18.89 and 18.91) mg/kg, magnesium (14.13 and 14.26 mg/kg), calcium (44.12 and 48.15 mg/kg), zinc (5.28 and 5.33 mg/kg), iron (5.64 and 5.82 mg/kg) and copper (18.00 and 18.00 mg/kg) respectively. Undehulled and dehulled guinea corn were: potassium (17.45 and 15.29 mg/kg), magnesium (15.22 and 14.32 mg/kg), calcium (40.14 and 34.14 mg/kg), zinc (4.45 and 4.04 mg/kg), iron (4.49 and 5.37 mg/kg) and copper (17.02 and 18.48 mg/kg) respectively. Undehulled and dehulled maize were: potassium (64.24 and 48.17 mg/kg), magnesium (13.28 and 12.14 mg/kg), calcium (24.17 and 42.62 mg/kg), zinc (4.27 and 4.17 mg/kg), iron (6.09 and 5.41 mg/kg) and copper (16.00 and 15.27 mg/kg) respectively. Dehulling is inevitably and negatively affects the levels of desirable nutrients which are mostly located on the outer parts of some grains.
Citation: Ismaila, Farida and Onyeke, Lovina Obiangeli (2022) Effects of Dehulling On the Mineral Elements Content of Some Cereals (Maize, Millet, And Guinea Corn), Global Journal of Agricultural Research , Vol.10, No.3, pp.1-12
Keywords: Cereals, Nigeria, dehulling, mineral element
Analysis of Poultry Eggs Marketing In South-South Part of Nigeria. A Case Study of Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria (Published)
Poultry egg marketing is a common enterprise in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State of Nigeria; but there are no documented research findings on the conduct of the market and profitability to authenticate the viability of this business. Thus, this study was targeted to analyze the performance of poultry egg marketing in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State. The study was conducted in five purposively selected villages in Ika South L.G.A., Delta State. Twelve (12) respondents were then randomly selected from each of the five selected villages to give a total of sixty respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, the profitability of poultry egg marketing was determined using gross profit margin analysis, net profit margin analysis and return on investment. Gini Coefficient was used to examine the market structure for poultry egg marketing. The results of the study showed that majority (40.00%) of the poultry egg marketers were within the age group of 30≥ 40 years, majority (71.70%) of the marketers were female, 50.00% were married, 35.00% had family size of 3 – 5 persons. 30.00% of them attained tertiary level of education, 41.67% had marketing experience of 1-5 years, 53.33% had egg marketing as their primary occupation, 65.00% were none members of co-operative societies. The gross profit margin was N772,200 while the net profit margin was N747,500 per marketer per annum and return on investment was 0.29, which showed that poultry egg marketing is profitable and viable in the study area. Gini Coefficient of 0.3054 showed that there was a moderate inequality in the distribution of incomes among the marketers hence some level of perfect competition of the market structure. The major constraints militating against poultry egg marketing in the study area included: inadequate capital, poor transportation, price fluctuations and exorbitant price of poultry eggs. The study therefore recommended that credit granting institutions should be established, effective transportation system and good road networks should be constructed in the study area for easy transportation, price control mechanism should be established to avoid fluctuation of price within the marketing system and the activities of trade union should be minimized to reduce the exorbitant price of poultry eggs to consumers.
Keywords: Gini Coefficient, Market structure, Marketers, Nigeria, Poultry Eggs, Profitability
Application of a Stochastic Frontier Production Function to the Measurement of Technical Efficiency of Commercial Poultry Egg Production in Nigeria (Published)
Some studies on poultry production in Nigeria focused on problems and prospects of poultry production, part time commercial poultry farming, technical efficiency of small scale poultry-egg production and none on the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Nigeria This study therefore examined the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a set of well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the study. First, five (5) major towns were randomly selected from the nine (9) major towns in the Local Government Area. Secondly, six (6) commercial poultry egg farmers were randomly selected from each of the five (5) major towns to make a total sample size of 30 farmers for the 2011 production cycle. Data collected were presented and analyzed using tables, frequency count, percentages and stochastic frontier production function. The stochastic frontier production function was specified and estimated, using maximum likelihood estimation. The results showed that majority of the respondents were found to be between the age range of 31-50 years old (60%), 56% of them were males, 50% of them had first leaving school certificates and 50% of them had 5-6 family members, 60% had 3-5 years of poultry rearing experience and 53% of them used hired labour for their operations; 60% of the respondents adopted the deep litter system of management. The results also revealed that the coefficients of expenditure on flock size (0.755), expenses on feed intake (0.851), expenses on medication and vaccination (0.220), expenses on labour (0.201), and cost of capital (0.562) were significant determinants of output of commercial egg production at 5% level of significance in the study area. The mean technical efficiency was 58% and ranges between 0.559 and 0.909. The sigma squared (σ2) of 0.65 for the commercial poultry farmers were statistically significant and different from zero at 5% level of significance. The variance ratio (gamma) was estimated as 0.52 for the farmers and were also significant at 5% level which implied that about 52% variations in the output of the farmers were due to the inefficiency of inputs. The study revealed that a national policy and programme to strengthen the commercial poultry production is required in the area of finance and inputs. It can therefore be recommended that capital should be channelled to commercial poultry production through the provision of macro-credits and formulation of policies and programmes by the Government to direct financial institutions to grant a definite and a reasonable proportion of loan-able funds to commercial poultry farmers. Programmes on economic production of major poultry feed ingredients like maize and soya-beans be instituted for least cost poultry feed production. Potent medicine and vaccine should be provided in sufficient quantities, easily accessible and enlightenment programme on mode of administration be embarked upon by the government to commercial poultry farmers in the study area. Exotic poultry parent stocks and fertile eggs imported should be screened and certified to be of good quality at the point of entry into the country by controlling bodies. Poultry equipment manufacturers should be encouraged by the Government with provision of credit facilities and subsidies.
Keywords: Commercial poultry eggs, Farmers, Nigeria, Technical Efficiency, stochastic frontier production
Application of a Stochastic Frontier Production Function to the Measurement of Technical Efficiency of Commercial Poultry Egg Production in Nigeria (Published)
Some studies on poultry production in Nigeria focused on problems and prospects of poultry production, part time commercial poultry farming, technical efficiency of small scale poultry-egg production and none on the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Nigeria This study therefore examined the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a set of well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the study. First, five (5) major towns were randomly selected from the nine (9) major towns in the Local Government Area. Secondly, six (6) commercial poultry egg farmers were randomly selected from each of the five (5) major towns to make a total sample size of 30 farmers for the 2011 production cycle. Data collected were presented and analyzed using tables, frequency count, percentages and stochastic frontier production function. The stochastic frontier production function was specified and estimated, using maximum likelihood estimation. The results showed that majority of the respondents were found to be between the age range of 31-50 years old (60%), 56% of them were males, 50% of them had first leaving school certificates and 50% of them had 5-6 family members, 60% had 3-5 years of poultry rearing experience and 53% of them used hired labour for their operations; 60% of the respondents adopted the deep litter system of management. The results also revealed that the coefficients of expenditure on flock size (0.755), expenses on feed intake (0.851), expenses on medication and vaccination (0.220), expenses on labour (0.201), and cost of capital (0.562) were significant determinants of output of commercial egg production at 5% level of significance in the study area. The mean technical efficiency was 58% and ranges between 0.559 and 0.909. The sigma squared (σ2) of 0.65 for the commercial poultry farmers were statistically significant and different from zero at 5% level of significance. The variance ratio (gamma) was estimated as 0.52 for the farmers and were also significant at 5% level which implied that about 52% variations in the output of the farmers were due to the inefficiency of inputs. The study revealed that a national policy and programme to strengthen the commercial poultry production is required in the area of finance and inputs. It can therefore be recommended that capital should be channelled to commercial poultry production through the provision of macro-credits and formulation of policies and programmes by the Government to direct financial institutions to grant a definite and a reasonable proportion of loan-able funds to commercial poultry farmers. Programmes on economic production of major poultry feed ingredients like maize and soya-beans be instituted for least cost poultry feed production. Potent medicine and vaccine should be provided in sufficient quantities, easily accessible and enlightenment programme on mode of administration be embarked upon by the government to commercial poultry farmers in the study area. Exotic poultry parent stocks and fertile eggs imported should be screened and certified to be of good quality at the point of entry into the country by controlling bodies. Poultry equipment manufacturers should be encouraged by the Government with provision of credit facilities and subsidies.
Keywords: Commercial poultry eggs, Farmers, Nigeria, Technical Efficiency, stochastic frontier production
Contribution Of Information Communication Technology To Effective Teaching And Learning Of Agricultural Science In Some Selected Public And Private Secondary Schools In Ibadan North East Local Government In Oyo State (Published)
This study investigates contribution of information communication technology to effective teaching and learning of agricultural science in some selected public and private secondary schools in Ibadan North East Local Government in Oyo State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted and a total population of one hundred (100) students and twenty (20) teachers; fifty (50) students from Ten (10) of the public and private secondary schools respectively and Ten (10) teachers from Ten of the public and private schools were randomly selected for the study. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect information and a simple percentage and frequency count was used to analyses the collected data also the 4 point likert scale analysis was used to identify various contribution of ict to effective teaching and learning of agricultural science among both the teachers and students in the study area. The results of the findings showed that the use of computer technology in teaching and learning of agricultural science makes the subject more simple, understandable and improves the understanding of the students. It also revealed that students do not have adequate access to Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) facilities in their schools except on their phones. Furthermore, the finding showed that majority of the private secondary schools are using computer technology effectively. In-service training on the use of computer technology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) should be organized for the teachers and students in public secondary schools by the government.
Keywords: Agricultural Science, Ibadan, Information Communication Technology, Learning, Nigeria, Public and Private Secondary Schools, Teaching
Assessment of Farmers’ Awareness of the Economic Importance of Physic Nut (Jatropha Curcas) In Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria (Published)
In recent time, Nigeria Government has shown great interest in Jatropha as a biofuel plants. The aim is to gradually reduce the nation’s dependence on imported gasoline, reduce environmental pollution as well as create a commercially viable industry; which is not yet publicized in the rural areas where the crop is grown. This study, thus focused on the assessment of farmers’ awareness of the economic importance of jatropha curcas in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional data collected for the study was achieved through the use of well structured questionnaire administered to seventy (70) farmers purposively selected from the study area. It specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, examined farmers awareness of the economic use of the plant, identified farmers source of information on the economic importance of jatropha curcas in the study area. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage, mean and mode were used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers while regression model was used to determine the relationship between the awareness of the economic importance of the crop and their socio-economic characteristics. The result showed that majority (31.43%) of the respondents were within the age range of 41-50years, , 52.86% were males, 61.43% were married, 44.30% were civil servants, 34.29% had farming experience of above 15years, 44.29% had household size of the range of 5-8 persons and 85.71% did not belong to any farmers’ associations. The result also revealed that majority(85.70%) of the respondents’ source of information was from friends and neighbours, majority (94.29%) of the respondents planted the crop for fencing their farmlands and gardens, 84.26% used it for boundary demarcation, 81.43% used it as hedges, 72.86% used it for medicinal purposes, and 70.00% used it for erosion control. The R2 (0.3618) value which is very low shows that only 36.8% of the variation in the awareness of the economic importance of Jatropha curcas was explained by the combined effects of age, sex and educational level of the farmers. The study revealed that majority (82.86%) were not aware that biofuel can be distilled from Jatropha curcas while only 17.14% were aware of this economic importance of the crop. It was therefore recommended that more enlightenment campaign about the production and economic usse of the crop be embarked upon through extension and training programmes by the State Government.
Keywords: Delta State, Economic Importance, Farmers, Jatropha Curcas, Nigeria, Regression Analysis
Application of a Stochastic Frontier Production Function to the Measurement of Technical Efficiency of Commercial Poultry Egg Production in Nigeria (Published)
Some studies on poultry production in Nigeria focused on problems and prospects of poultry production, part time commercial poultry farming, technical efficiency of small scale poultry-egg production and none on the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Nigeria This study therefore examined the technical efficiency of commercial poultry egg production in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a set of well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the study. First, five (5) major towns were randomly selected from the nine (9) major towns in the Local Government Area. Secondly, six (6) commercial poultry egg farmers were randomly selected from each of the five (5) major towns to make a total sample size of 30 farmers for the 2011 production cycle. Data collected were presented and analyzed using tables, frequency count, percentages and stochastic frontier production function. The stochastic frontier production function was specified and estimated, using maximum likelihood estimation. The results showed that majority of the respondents were found to be between the age range of 31-50 years old (60%), 56% of them were males, 50% of them had first leaving school certificates and 50% of them had 5-6 family members, 60% had 3-5 years of poultry rearing experience and 53% of them used hired labour for their operations; 60% of the respondents adopted the deep litter system of management. The results also revealed that the coefficients of expenditure on flock size (0.755), expenses on feed intake (0.851), expenses on medication and vaccination (0.220), expenses on labour (0.201), and cost of capital (0.562) were significant determinants of output of commercial egg production at 5% level of significance in the study area. The mean technical efficiency was 58% and ranges between 0.559 and 0.909. The sigma squared (σ2) of 0.65 for the commercial poultry farmers were statistically significant and different from zero at 5% level of significance. The variance ratio (gamma) was estimated as 0.52 for the farmers and were also significant at 5% level which implied that about 52% variations in the output of the farmers were due to the inefficiency of inputs. The study revealed that a national policy and programme to strengthen the commercial poultry production is required in the area of finance and inputs. It can therefore be recommended that capital should be channelled to commercial poultry production through the provision of macro-credits and formulation of policies and programmes by the Government to direct financial institutions to grant a definite and a reasonable proportion of loan-able funds to commercial poultry farmers. Programmes on economic production of major poultry feed ingredients like maize and soya-beans be instituted for least cost poultry feed production. Potent medicine and vaccine should be provided in sufficient quantities, easily accessible and enlightenment programme on mode of administration be embarked upon by the government to commercial poultry farmers in the study area. Exotic poultry parent stocks and fertile eggs imported should be screened and certified to be of good quality at the point of entry into the country by controlling bodies. Poultry equipment manufacturers should be encouraged by the Government with provision of credit facilities and subsidies.
Keywords: Commercial poultry eggs, Farmers, Nigeria, Technical Efficiency, stochastic frontier production
LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION AND BENEFITS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY (NPFS) AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA (Published)
This study assessed the level of participation and benefits of the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) among rural women farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) is a five year nationwide Programme for Food Security launched in 2001 in Nigeria with the objective to increase and stabilize food production rapidly and sustainably through the wide spread dissemination of improved technologies and management practices in areas with high potential, and to create an economic and social environment conducive to food production as well as reaching some 30,000 farming families in each selected areas (FGN, 2006) Primary data were collected through field survey with well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results obtained indicated that radio was the major source of information to majority (28.3%) of the rural women participants. More so, majority (84.40%) of the women were not involved in planning NPFS programmes. Further analysis showed that majority (56.7%) of the rural women farmers merely participated in decision making process at information receiving level. Borehole facilities (39.4%) and community seed production (36.1%) were the major components benefited by majority of the women. It was concluded that the objectives of NPFS has not been effectively realized among the rural women due to their low level of participation in programme planning and implementation. Involvement of stakeholders in planning process ensures successful implementation of programmes since their felt needs are factored in during the process.
Keywords: Benefits, Ebonyi State, National Programme for Food Security, Nigeria, Participation, Rural Women
RESOURCE-USE AND ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY OF PADDY RICE PRODUCTION IN NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA (Published)
The study examined resource-use and allocative efficiency of paddy rice production in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria with the view of determining the profitability, resource productivity and allocative efficiency of inputs used in rice production in the study area. The data for the study was collected from 300 rice farmers in three out of nine states in the region based on their intensity in rice production in the study area using multistage and simple random sampling technique.Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, profitability model and allocative efficiency model. Rice production was found to be profitable as farmers realized N319,046.84/ha as Gross Margin in the study area. Result of the allocative efficiency of inputs confirmed thatrice producers in the area did not attain optimal allocative efficiency, seed input (0.94) had the highest allocative efficiency while land input (0.05) showed the least allocative efficient input. It was recommended that concerted efforts from individual rice farmers and government to establish farmers’ participatory extension service to ensure timely supply and proper use of rice farm inputs in order to improve farmers’ resource use efficiency.
Keywords: Niger-Delta, Nigeria, Paddy Rice, Resource – Use: Allocative Efficiency
Resource-Use and Allocative Efficiency of Paddy Rice Production in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. (Review Completed - Accepted)
The study examined resource-use and allocative efficiency of paddy rice production in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria with the view to determining the profitability, resource productivity and allocative efficiency of inputs used in rice production in the study area. The data for the study was collected from 300 rice farmers in three out of nine states in the region based on their intensity in rice production in the study area using multistage and simple random sampling technique.Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, profitability model and allocative efficiency model. Rice production was found to be profitable as farmers realized N319,046.84/ha as Gross Margin in the study area. Result of the allocative efficiency of inputs confirmed thatrice producers in the area did not attain optimal allocative efficiency, seed input (0.94) has the highest allocative efficiency while land input (0.05) was the least allocative efficient input. Emergent from the findings, it was recommended that concerted efforts from individual rice farmers and government to establish farmers’ participatory extension service to ensure timely supply and proper use of rice farm inputs in order to improve farmers’ resource use efficiency.
Keywords: Allocative Efficiency, Niger-Delta, Nigeria, Paddy Rice, Resource Use