ABSTRACT
The main focus of this study is the "economic analysis of Quail production among small holder farmers in Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State.Two sampling techniques were used in selecting 122 farmersfor this study. Descriptive statistics, net farm income and stochastic frontier production function were used in analyzing the data. The result of the analysis shows that 34% of the farmers fell within the age range of 30 and 39years.Majority of the farmers (59%) did not have a formal education. The farmers with household size ranged from 1-10 persons having the highest frequency at 53% while 72%of the farmers were not members of anyCooperative Society. About 84% did not have access to extension services, 94% of the farmers did not have access to credit. The total revenue earned from Quail production was Γ’β¦41,400 and Γ’β¦44,750 for meat and egg respectively. The total cost of Quail production was Γ’β¦21,049 and Γ’β¦32,596 for meat and egg respectively. The net farm income was therefore Γ’β¦20,351 and Γ’β¦12,154 for meat and egg respectively. The estimated mean technical efficiency for Quail meat producers is 0.73 and that of Quail egg producers is 0.85. The mean allocative efficiency of Quail producers is 0.61while the mean allocative efficiency for egg producers is 0.64.The study shows that the mean economic efficiency for Quail meat farmers is 0.45, while the mean economic efficiency of the egg farmers is 0.55. The major constraints identified in Quail production in the study area were high cost of feeds (68%), inadequate extension services (58%), inadequate capital (44%), pest and diseases (31%) and poor pricing (29%). It is concluded that Quail production is profitable in the study area but the farmers are not economically efficient.
