DETERMINATION OF THE PROFITABILITY OF VITAMIN A BIOFORTIFIED CASSAVA PRODUCTION IN NIGER STATE., NIGERIA

Given the increasing demand for nutrient-rich crops and the potential of bio-fortified cassava
to address vitamin A deficiency, the study was undertaken to determine the profitability of
Vitamin A bio-fortified cassava production in Niger State. The specific objectives were to;
describe the socio-economic characteristics of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava farmers’,
estimate the cost and returns of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava production, and identify the
production constraints faced by vitamin A bio-fortified cassava producers. A Multistage
sampling technique was employed to select one hundred and five active vitamin A bio-fortified
cassava farmers as respondents. Data were gathered through primary source with the aid of a
structured questionnaire while descriptive statistics and net farm income were used to analyze
the data. The results showed that the mean age of respondents was 39 years. The Majority
(73.3%) of the respondents were male with an average household size of 10 persons, average
years of farming experience of 16 years, and cultivating on an average farm size of 3.72
hectares. The average annual income of the respondents was ₦1,623,251.71. Vitamin A bio
fortified cassava production was profitable in the study area with a net farm income and return
on investment of ₦716,193.75 and 1.47 respectively, this implies that for every ₦1 invested in
the production of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava, 147 kobo was realized. High cost of inputs,
insecurity, poor access to financial services, inadequate storage facilities, and inadequate
extension services were among the most severe constraints vitamin A bio-fortified cassava
farmers in the study area faced. The study concludes that bio-fortified cassava production is
economically viable, offering health and economic benefits to farmers in the study area. It is
recommended among others, that Government and NGOs should scale-up training programmes
on the best practices in bio-fortified cassava cultivation, this can optimize yields and profits.