Financial Benefit Analysis of Organic Farming of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F.): Evidence from Nigeria.

Despite the global emphasis on organic farming and its importance, there is limited information on the financial benefits of organic production of fluted pumpkin in Nigeria. The study examines the financial benefits of organic farming of fluted pumpkin. Primary data collected in 2018 from randomly selected 60 organic pumpkin farmers were analysed with the aid of descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The result of the study shows that the net return to farmer was N188,450 for organic fluted pumpkin production per farmer per production cycle. The test of hypothesis shows that there is significant positive difference in the gap between costs incurred and farm income earned in organic fluted pumpkin production. Factor analysis indicated that cost of labor and transportation of materials were the major determinants of profitability of organic fluted pumpkin production. Further result shows that the most serious constraints in organic production of fluted pumpkin were inadequate finance and under developed transportation system. It was recommended that financial institutions including cooperative societies should make credit available to organic fluted pumpkin farmers at relatively low interest rate to boost organic fluted pumpkin production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]