ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING POULTRY PRODUCTION IN TORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the challenges of poultry farming in Toro area of Bauchi state Nigeria. It studied specifically; the socio-economic characteristics; flock size and factors influencing poultry production in the study area. Data were collected using a multistage sampling technique to select 48 poultry farms. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression model were used in analyzing the data. The result shows that, 90% were male, 64% aged between 31-50 years, 97% had formal education and 65% have farming experience of over five years. The structure of farms in the study area has it that, 67% of farms were medium scale farms, 22% as large farms, and 11% as small farms. Regression analysis showed that the coefficients of gender and education were statistically significant (p<0.05 and p<0.01 respectively), farming experience and purpose of keeping poultry were significant (p<0.05) but negatively signed. Disease/parasite and access to credit were ranked the 1st and 2 nd constraints, respectively. In conclusion, flock size was found to be influenced by some socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, majority of the farms were operating on a medium scale and are faced with constraints of disease/parasites and credit to expand. The study therefore recommends that government should subsidize the cost of inputs, provide loans/grants to farmers and tackle the problem of disease/pest by revamping its veterinary vaccines production unit.