Gender Differentials and Optimal Combination of Crop Enterprises under Limited Resource Conditions in South Western Nigeria: A Case Study of Cocoa-based Farming Systems

This study investigated gender differentials and an optimal combination of crop enterprises in southwestern. Specifically, it described the socio-economic characteristics of households in cocoa-based farming by gender; determine enterprise combinations of households in the cocoa-based farming systems and profile gender participation in optimal farm plan activities in cocoa-based farming systems. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents, comprising 147 males and 53 females. Data were collected on socioeconomic characteristics such as age, household size, years of schooling and year of farming experience among others. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear goal programming. Descriptive statistics show that majority of the respondents aged above 60 years comprising of 46.5% male and 2% females, married comprising of 69.5% male and 20% female, and had a household size of between 7 and 12 persons, with males accounting for 25.5% and females 12.5%. Most of the respondents had primary school education in the study area, with 73.8% male and 26.2% female. Goal ranking showed that food security; increased income; and reduced production cost are the most important goals among farmers in the cocoa-based farming system. The linear goal programming model shows that Cocoa and Banana; Cocoa, Oil Palm and Plantain and Cocoa, Maize, Cassava and Orange are the optimal enterprise combination. It further showed that farmers will incur a cost of N38, 833.56/ha on the three basic activities to achieve the stated goals. The shadow prices for the fully utilized resources were N9348, N1352 and N6.52 for land, hired labour and capital respectively. The result further showed that 67 percent of the goal components was achieved. Percentages of female-headed households in cocoa/banana, cocoa/oil palm/plantain and cocoa/maize/cassava/orange enterprises were 45%, 31% and 0% respectively. For the goals of food security, increased income and reduced farm production costs to be accomplished in the study area, farmers should produce 0.2 ha of cocoa/banana, 1.2 ha of cocoa/oil palm/plantain and 1.25 ha of cocoa/maize/cassava/orange in the study area. Also, conscious efforts should be made by policymakers to ensure gender equality in the access and use of productive farm resources.