This study analyzed the effects of socio-economic characteristics of women vegetable farmers on their gross margin in Iwo Zone of Osun State of Nigeria. Multistage sampling was used to select one hundred and thirty (130) women vegetable farmers as the sample for the study. Data was collected by means of structured interview schedule. Information was obtained on age, marital status, years of formal education, farming experience, land ownership, costs and revenue. Percentages, Means and Frequencies were the main descriptive statistical tools utilized. While the inferential statistics used are Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings revealed that majority (76.15%) of women vegetable farmers fall between the ages of 41-60 years with a mean age of 50.85 years. 42.31% of women vegetable farmers had primary education. While 24.61% receive secondary education. None of the women vegetable farmers receive post secondary education. Majority (31.54%) of the women vegetable farmers acquired the land they are using for farming through gift. 22.31% of the women vegetable farmer obtained their land through inheritance, while 15.38% of the women vegetable farmers acquired their land through purchase, tenancy and other means. All (100%) of the women vegetable farmers are married. The mean gross margin of women vegetable farmers is #33047. Four variables were significant at 5% level. These are years of formal education, land ownership, cost of chemicals and cost of labour. There is no significant difference in the socio-economic characteristics of women vegetable farmers in the study area. Also, there is no significant difference in the gross margin of women vegetable farmers group in the study area. The mean gross margin (#33047) obtained from the study indicated that vegetable production is an essential income earner for rural women in the study area..

We quantified the impact of new production technologies on total land area allocated to production of six (ugu, igbagba, tete atetedaye, woorowo, ogunmo and odu) selected high-premium under-utilised indigenous vegetables (UIVs) in south-western Nigeria. Leaf yields and accruable returns were estimated by comparing the data for these parameters at the commencement of the project in 2011 (through a baseline survey) with the same set of parameters after three years (in 2013) of project implementation. Through a structured interview and focus group discussion involving 134 randomly selected respondents (59 women and 75 men) from the 350 UIVs cooperative members in the rainforest and derived savanna agroecologies in four states (Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti) of south-western Nigeria, we studied the gender gap between male and female farmers with respect to access to productive farm resources. The data obtained were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. On average across south-western Nigeria in 2013, areas of 7.67, 7.0, 5.6, 1.9, 2.83 and 0.72 ha were planted to ugu, igbagba, tete atetedaye, woorowo, ogunmo and odu, respectively, compared to areas in 2011 of 0.3, 0.2, 0.6, 0, 0.32 and 0 ha, respectively. Yield analyses showed that the productivity of ugu, igbagba, tete atetedaye, woorowo, ogunmo and odu increased by 62%, 67%, 60%, 100%, 64% and 100%, respectively, as a result of the seeding rate technology applied between 2011 and 2013. More than 80% of the male and female respondents were aged between 31 and 60 years and possessed mean UIV farming experience of 18.7 years (males) and 13.4 years (females). The average farm area was 3.4 ha for men and 2.8 ha for women. The difficulty in accessing agrochemicals, modern technologies and marketing outlets was skewed towards females. We identified inadequate finance, lack of storage facilities, marketing outlets, multiple household responsibilities, lack of technology, lack of inputs and gender inequality as some of the problems associated with UIV production as perceived by both male and female respondents. Age (r = 0.290) and farming experience (r = 0.216) of female UIVs farmers, and age (r = 0.300), farming experience (r = 0.226), education (r = 0.363) and income (r = 0.224) of male UIV farmers were positively correlated with access to production resources (p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, there is a need to drop policies that are less favourable to rural women and to focus on the appreciation of their role as producers of wealth, and additionally to strengthen the network of public services in rural areas, including education and welfare services.

World agriculture is based on a small number of animal species and a decreasing number of breeds within each species. Several breeds of West African shorthorn cattle (Bos taurus brachyceros) are now at high risk of extinction due to interbreeding. The West African shorthorn breeds are particularly important resources because of their superior abilities to resist diseases, particularly trypanosomosis, and be productive under high humidity, heat stress, water restriction and with poor quality feed. A study was undertaken in the derived savanna area of southwest Nigeria to determine the prospects for conservation through use and possible improvement of the Muturu, a West African shorthorn breed known to be in decline throughout southern Nigeria. An analysis of farmers' breeding practices and breed preferences confirmed a strong trend away from Muturu and identified the traits farmers find least desirable about the Muturu relative to other breeds. An analysis of cattle market prices found small, but significant, price differences by breed. The best hopes for increased utilization likely in other areas of West Africa, such as southeast Nigeria, where the Muturu is better suited to the farming systems and there is a large market for this breed.

Small farms have shown spirited livelihood over time as they have significantly influenced agricultural production and rural poverty reduction. Small farm characterizes agriculture in Nigeria and seems to be persisting. What is the relationship between these persisting small farms and productivity? Multistage sampling technique was engaged in choosing the samples desirable for this study and where 880 farming households' data across the four regions of Nigeria were used to examine this linkage. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, cross‐tabulation analysis, and Total Factor Productivity analysis. Majority of the respondents derived livelihood in petty farming, but income received is somewhat insignificant. Farming households with less than 2 ha of agricultural land are poorer (30.1%) and used family/communal land for farming purposes. Total Factor Productivity analysis indicated 29% of these farmers operated on a low productivity out of which 65% of them identified poor, hence confirm the correlation between small farms and low productivity. About 67% of the poor households with low productivity augment household income from nonfarm rural acridities. Productivity has a significant effect on small farms doggedness at p < .05 and a deviation of 3.21. Thus, 1% increase in productivity would lead to 3.21% decrease in small farms persistence. Hence, the empirical analysis of persistence of small farms and the productivity models has thus shown that there exists a causal relationship. The simultaneity test between small farms and productivity revealed a direct link. This suggests that policies that can expedite efficient rural service delivery, interactions of agricultural production systems, and rural livelihoods can influence income increase and can also do same to improve productivity. Similarly, policies that promote the development of the rural nonfarm sector are crucial to help increase income available for farming and hence, improve smallholders' well‐being, preventing small farms from being a pool of the poor.

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