Analysis of Pesticide Use in Cocoa Production in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study focused on the economic analysis of pesticide use by cocoa farmers in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun state. Specifically, the study determines pesticide use level by cocoa farmers; the relationship between cocoa output and level inputs used and problems faced by the farmers with the use of pesticides were also determined. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics to examine the socioeconomic factors affecting pesticide use. Multiple regression analysis technique was adopted for determining the relationship between dependent and independent variable. Primary data were collected from fifty (50) cocoa farmers with the aid of well structured questionnaire as interview guide. The study revealed that cocoa production was more popular among illiterate farmers who constituted 40 percent of the respondents and majority of them were males with an average age of 61 years. The cocoa farmers had average of 14 people per household with an average farming experience of 47.5years. Majority (98.0%) of the farmers interviewed were married while about (2.0%) were single and they belonged to farmers’ cooperatives. The average land area for cocoa production was 7.18 hectares.  The study further found out the factors affecting pesticides use in cocoa production include: farming experience (? _0.05), cost of pesticides (? _0.01) and income of the farmer (? _0.1).The value of the coefficient of multiple determination (R²) for the quantity of pesticide use was 0.761.  The problems associated with pesticides use in cocoa-based production system in the study were found to be high cost of pesticide, adulteration of pesticides and non-availability of the pesticide at designated buying centres at the right time. This study concluded that pesticide use  in cocoa production is a major productivity enhancing resource, although farmers used it below the recommended rate. The study therefore recommended among others, that it is necessary to sensitize cocoa farmers on the use of pesticide at a recommended rate and that there is need to make it available at subsidized rate with a view to enhancing their productivity.

Keywords: Pesticides use, cocoa production, socio-economic factors and Regression analysis.