OPTIMUM FARM PLAN FOR FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study determines the optimum farm plan for food security in Ondo- state. Data were collected from 100 farmers randomly selected from live (5) local government areas of the state namely: Idanre, Ile-Oluj i/Oke igbo, Ondo West, Ondo East, and Odigbo local government areas. analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, These data were percentage, mean bar charts and pie charts. Inferential statistical analysis were done using multiple regression to determine the production function; cost and return analysis were used to analyze the gross margin and net farm income of the farmers. The optimum enterprise combination was determined by using linear programming. The major findings from the respondents during the course or the study were highlighted as follows: 55% were between 31 to 50 years or age which is the active group and is the modal age. 95% of the respondents were male. More than half of the respondents (54.17%) had no formal education. 96.88% of the respondents were married. Most of the respondents (93.45%) took farming as their primary occupation. 79.09% of the respondents family of between 0 to 10 household members. keep large 96.88% of the respondents involved labour. members of their household in farming while 69% relied on hired 80.21 % of the respondents acquired their farmland through purchasing. 78.12% of the respondents had been in farming for between 1.0 to 49years i.c. farming experience of between 10 to 49years. Most of the respondents (8542%) were into Farming for income stability and food security. 69.79% of the respondents possesses farmland sizes of between 1.0 to 5.0 hectares of land. 93.75% of the respondents acquired their farm inputs directly from the market. More than half or the respondents (51.04%) transport their farm produce from the farm by head. Nearly all the respondents (90.68%) had no access to credit facilities. 69.79% of the respondents wish to continue in farming by reasons or income stability and food security. 78.12 % of the respondents encountered one problem or the other viz: (transportation, glut, credit spoilage). 35.42% of the respondents were faced with the problems of glut 'and credit purchase. 78.12 % of the respondents showed their desired for government intervention and assistance From the multiple regression analysis it was observed that all the independent variables played an important role in explaining the variability of each of the variables in optimum farm plan for food security. The enterprisers) that contributed immensely to the farmers net income were the rood crops and cash crop enterprises with a total net farm income per annum of 128,361.79naira and 115,685.95 naira respectively. The gross margin or each of the enterprises were 142,794.97 naira and 133,976.44 naira respectively. Linear programming was used to determine the total gross margin and to determine the profit line of the two enterprises; (food crops and cash crops) the equation was subjected to three constraints; land, capital and labour. The pro tit line is 14,3and 3.91 respectively. This is the optimal feasible solution.