COMPETITIVENESS OF TOMATO PRODUCTION IN KOKONA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The study determined the competiveness of Tomato production in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 60 respondents selected through a simple random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) were used for data analysis. The results show that majority (71.7%) of the farmers males with an average of about 8 persons in the household.. The result of the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) shows that Tomato production with subsidized inputs is more profitable compared to its production with input purchased directly from the open market. However, the Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) was less than unity, (0.0864) suggesting that tomato production system can be sustainable without government intervention. Major constraints in Tomato production include; lack of basic equipment and infrastructure, inadequate extension service and poor access to credit facilities. Therefore to increase the profit and ensure high return on investment, it is recommended that the state government key into the Fadama III additional Financing project in order to enhance Tomato production.