DIFFERENCES IN AGRICULTURAL RETURNS IN SESAME PRODUCTION: AN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF EFFICIENCY IN FACTOR INPUT ALLOCATION IN RINGIM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, JIGAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The study looked into the use of input in sesame production with the view on seeing the returns to its production in Ringim Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Data were obtained from 100 randomly selected farmers using the multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, net farm income and regression model were used in data analysis. The result showed that the mean age of the respondents was 38 years with secondary education been most popularly attained. The respondents had a household size of 3 persons cultivating a farm size of 3.5ha with experience of 8 years on average in sesame production. The results also reveal net farm income and return on naira invested of N 46,190.59 and 1.54 respectively, an indication of a profitable enterprise. The semi-log functional form gave the best fit based on the normal econometric criteria with coefficient of multiple determination of 0.312 implying that about 31 percent of the variation in yield of sesame was explained by the specified explanatory variables. It also revealed that there was under utilization of all the production inputs under consideration. It is therefore encouraged that more of the limiting factors (farm size, quantity of seed and quantity of organic manure) observed be put into cultivation.