Impact of NIRSAL's Agro-GEO-Cooperative Model: Case of Poultry Farmers in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study was carried out on enhancing agricultural production through NIRSAL's funding, the case of poultry farmers in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State. This study specifically examined; the amount of NIRSAL's fund obtained by poultry farmers; profitability of poultry farmers as a result of NIRSAL's funding; and the constraints faced by poultry farmers in accessing NIRSAL's funding. A total of 90 poultry farmers (NIRSAL’s fund beneficiaries) were randomly selected for the study. The result from the study revealed that cost of feeds (₦945,500) and day-old chick (₦279,000) had a huge impact on the total cost of poultry production as represented by 55.9% and 16.5% of the total cost respectively. The average net profit of the poultry farmers was ₦1,086,650. The gross profit ratio of 0.51 showed that poultry production is a profitable venture capable of providing a decent livelihood for the farmers in the study area. The study also revealed that the major constraint to access of NIRSAL’s fund was lack of collateral. The study therefore recommends that poultry egg producers in the area should be encouraged to increase their scale of production for increased profitability, food security and job creation. This could be achieved if small scale farmers can come together and pool their resources as cooperatives following the model of NIRSAL’s Agro-Geo Cooperative.
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