Identification of Efficient Cropping Zones for Cassava Production in Nigeria
Journal Title: Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International - Year 2016, Vol 8, Issue 2
Abstract
Aim: When the productivity of a crop is higher and stable in an area/zone probably due to prevalence of optimum condition for crop growth and yield, it is considered an efficient crop zone. But identification of these cropping efficient zones which also serves to encourage comparative advantage and specialization in crop production may be a challenge to investors desiring to invest in these zones. Therefore this paper sought to investigate the efficient cropping zone for cassava, with a view to providing a practicable guide for policy considerations in production, processing (Such as the staple crop processing zones - SCPZ) and value chain development. Methodology: To achieve this feat, secondary data collected from Nigerian bureau of statistics (NBS) data portal and the food and agriculture organization (FAO) from 1997-2006 were used to categorize the country into six geo-political zones by using stratified sampling method. Five criteria were adopted based on relative yield index (RYI) and relative spread index (RSI) to determine efficiency of cropping zone by computing the mean yield of a state in relation to country crop yield and state crop area in relation to total crop area in the country. Results: The results showed that ten (10) states (Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kogi, Oyo, Rivers and Taraba) out of thirty one (31) states spread across the six-political zones were identified as the most efficient cropping zones (MECZ) for cassava production. Their RYI values were 115.72, 366.38, 229.88, 234.30, 229.13, 188.60, 271.28, 133.49, 153.77, 171.11 respectively while their RSI values were 153.19, 318.05, 217.32, 238.96, 186.63, 228.27, 206.93, 165.57, 165.52, 174.72 respectively. the south-south geo-political zone had the highest number of states -three (3); south-east was next with two (2) states. Other zones had one each. Conclusion: The policy implication is that investors can be potentially guided to invest in cassava production and development of value chain from the product. Also uneconomical crops can be replaced with the most economic crops for better returns on investment as well as productivity.
Authors and Affiliations
Idorenyin A. Otung, Aniekan J. Akpaeti
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP351656
- DOI 10.9734/JAERI/2016/26821
- Views 76
- Downloads 0
Preliminary Survey and Ecological Studies on Ant Fauna Diversity in Asir Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
We report on twelve new records of ants species for the fauna in Asir region: Camponotus aegyptiacus, Camponotus sericeus, Camponotus xerxes, Cataglyphis bicolor, Cataglyphis fortis, Cataglyphis niger, Lepisiota opaciven...
Population Density and Diversity of Trees on Farmlands in Three Districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana: Implications for Food Security and Ecosystem Sustainability
Ghanaian farmers have been practicing farming since time immemorial and trees are a normal component of farmlands. However, the choice of particular tree species and their population on the farms is greatly influenced by...
Present Status of Low Depth Shrimp Farming System with Special Reference to Soil-water Characteristics in South-West Region of Bangladesh
Management of soil and water quality parameters is important catalysts for gaining sustainable fish production in Bangladesh. In this context, a comprehensive survey was done to categories existing shrimp farms locally c...
Influence of a Silvopastoral System on Anatomical Aspects and Dry Matter Quality of Mombasa and Marandu Grasses
The goal of this paper was to evaluate the influence of the shading levels in a silvopastoral system on the association of anatomical structures with nutritional parameters and gas production of Poaceae species. Plants o...
Dry Matter Accumulation, Nutrient Uptake and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Two Improved Cultivars of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) under Screen House Conditions in Samoa
Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is a staple crop of many of the South Pacific nations with an ever increasing export demand. In recent years, yields of taro have increased dramatically through breeding and selecti...