396109

Estimation of Return to Scale Magnitude on Input Use by Tomato-Producing Farms in Katsina, Nigeria

Article

Last updated: 27 Apr 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Agricultural Economic and Social Sciences

Abstract

This study investigated the returns to scale in tomato production in Batagarawa and Jibia L.G.A. of Katsina State, Nigeria. Primary data for the 2023 cropping season were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 250 farmers selected from six tomato-producing villages using multi-stage sampling techniques. The Cobb-Douglas production function, specifically the ordinary least squares method, was employed for parameter estimation. Reliability tests indicated minimal multicollinearity and autocorrelation. Results showed that seed (p < 0.01), fertilizer (p < 0.01), pesticide (p < 0.01), and family labor (p < 0.01) significantly influenced production, with seed having the highest coefficient (0.855). The estimated production elasticity was 1.481, indicating increasing returns to scale. A profit of ₦ 412,331.53 per acre and a return on investment (ROI) of 2.68 highlighted the profitability of tomato production in the area. Key challenges identified included high fertilizer costs, capital issues, pests, labor costs, and perishability. Recommendations include training farmers in local seed selection, establishing processing plants to reduce post-harvest losses, and the need for government interventions to support financing.

DOI

10.21608/alexja.2024.337807.1111

Keywords

Keywords: Gross margin, Return to scale, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Parameters

Authors

First Name

Hussaini

Last Name

Idris

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University

Email

hussainiidris67@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Sameh

Last Name

Shehab

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University

Email

sameh.shehab@alexu.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Mohamed Ali Ali

Last Name

Fathallah

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University

Email

mohamed.kharoub@alexu.edu.eg

City

Aexandria

Orcid

-

First Name

Sherin

Last Name

Sherif

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University

Email

sherin.sherif@alexu.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

70

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

54175

Issue Date

2025-03-01

Receive Date

2024-11-21

Publish Date

2025-03-01

Page Start

54

Page End

60

Online ISSN

2535-1931

Link

https://alexja.journals.ekb.eg/article_396109.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=396109

Order

5

Type

Original Article

Type Code

514

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Alexandria Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Publication Link

https://alexja.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Estimation of Return to Scale Magnitude on Input Use by Tomato-Producing Farms in Katsina, Nigeria

Details

Type

Article

Created At

09 Mar 2025