Department Agricultural Economics And Extension

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FARMERS’ CHOICE FOR CULTIVATION OF COWPEA VARIETIES IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA.
('Dcpanmcni of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, 2015-09-26) Omotesho, O. A.; Adenuga, A.H,; Omotesho, K. F.; Oloniyo, L. A,
This study examined fanners' preference for cultivation of cowpea varieties in Kwara state, Nigeria. A well structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from a total of 130 randomly selected cowpea farmers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, 5 Point Likert-Type scale and Gross Margin analysis. Results showed that 52.0% of the farmers were cultivating local varieties of cowpea on a total of 64.5ha of land, 25.2% of the farmers were cultivating improved varieties of cowpea on a total of 32.2ha of land and 22.8% of the farmers were cultivating both local and improved varieties of cowpea on a total of 57.99ha of land. The result of the study revealed that though the cultivation of improved variety was more profitable than the local variety, combining both was more profitable. High cost of production was perceived as the main factor militating against the cultivation of improved cowpea varieties. In line with the findings of the study, it was recommended that farmers should be provided with adequate information on the need to adopt improved cowpea varieties to increase productivity and consequently reduce the cost of production.