Rainfall Variation: Implication on Cocoa Yield in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cocoa is known as one of the notable cultivated cash crops of the tropical rainforest of the world that is rain dependent. The study examines the effect of rainfall variation on the yield of cocoa plantation in Ondo State, Nigeria. Data used for the study includes the rainfall data of 15 years from 2000 to 2014 collected from Ondo state agro climatological office as well as cocoa yield data for the same period of time from Ondo State ministry of agriculture and forest resources. Descriptive statistical method was employed to determine the relationship between both variables in which the result shows direct relationship between rainfall and cocoa yield. Results were presented using bar charts and line graph for the time series analysis of the variables. Linear regression statistical analysis was used to predict cocoa yield with certain amount of rainfall with the correlation coefficient ‘r’ value of 0.97 which implies that rainfall changes go a long way to determine the same variation trend in the cocoa yield. Though, not only the quantity of rainfall within the range of rainfall required for the growth of this crop affect the yield but its distribution. A little millimeter of rainfall above or below the required range of rain for cocoa plantation greatly affects cocoa yield.