Resource Use and Productivity Among Rain-Fed and Irrigated Irish Potato Producers in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract: Although Potato is grown in all the three zone of Plateau State, reports indicate that only part of the central and northern zones produce substantial quantities for consumption within the zones and sale to others. Its importance to plateau State its people are evidenced in the number of producers involved, land area cropped, quantities realised and valued. This study which lasted from October, 2004 to September, 2005 was carried out to evaluate the resources use and productivity among rain-fed and irrigated Irish potato producers in Plateau state. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from 90 randomly selected irrigated irish potato producers and 90 randomly selected Irish potato producers in the study area, making a total sample size of 180 Irish potato producers (respondent) that were surveyed. The data were analysed using regression analysis model. Also an average comparative cost-returns analysis was used to compare the costs and return of the rain-fed and irrigated Irish potato producers. The major findings of the result for rain-fed shows that the resources used have 705 influence on productivity with fc>Ft (23.8823>2.02). This therefore implies that we should reject the three hypotheses which seem to accept that:- "¢ The Socio-economic characteristics of producers do not influence resources efficiency and productivity. "¢ There is no significant difference in resource use and productivity between rain-fed and irrigated Irish producers. "¢ There is no significant difference between rain-fed and irrigated Irish potato production. for the irrigated Irish potato production, the result of the findings show that the resources used ha 95% influence on Irish potato productivity, with high value of Fc=282.373. the overall model is statistically significant, hence we are to reject the three hypotheses as stated above. From the findings, we therefore recommend among others a realistic and aggressive Irish potato programme which will promote all season production through rain-fed and irrigated Irish potato production. The research therefore solve a range of problems in Irish potato production