The study aimed at conducting a comparative profitability analysis of selected rainfed and irrigated food crops in Adamawa state, Nigeria. Two hundred and ten (210) (with 105 each from rainfed and irrigated) farmers growing rice, maize, tomato and pepper were randomly sampled for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons respectively. The analytical tools used to achieve the objectives of study include descriptive statistics, profit function and farm budgeting techniques. Results revealed that 54.29 % of the farmers under rainfed and 69.02 % under irrigation were in their productive years of 31-50 years. Also 74.28 % and 53.33 % of the farmers attended one level of formal education or the other. Similarly 58 % of rain fed and 78.11 % of irrigated farmers cultivated less than 2 hectares of land while 92.38 % and 89.48 % had more than 10 years farming experience. The results of farm budgeting analysis revealed an average gross margin of N45,448,63, N41,396.84, N40,224.81 and N46,340.48 per hectare for rice, maize, tomato and pepper respectively under rainfed production. While under irrigated farms an average gross margin of N53, 904.68, N43,409.65, N66,520.78 and N66,681.99 per hectare were obtained for the four crops respectively. Furthermore the results of the profit function analysis under rainfed condition shows that labour was significant at 1% level and inversely related with profit. However, farm size, seed, and fertilizer were positively related to profit and significant at 1%. Similarly under irrigated condition labour was significant and inversely related to the profit. Land, fertilizer and agrochemicals were significant at varying levels and positively related to profit. The study therefore recommends that more financial assistance in the form of credit should be given to farmers so as to expand their production. Also, a minimum guaranty price of the farm produce should be enforced.
