Abstract
Most farm households in developing countries are now growing and consuming biofortified crops. The study examined the profitability of biofortified yellow cassava production in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information from 140 biofortified yellow cassava farmers selected with multistage random sampling technique from seven villages. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean and percentages), farm budgeting technique and financial analysis. The result showed that majority (57.14%) of the farmers were female with a mean age of (49.13) years. Most (68.57%) of the respondents were married with a mean farming experience of (3.54) years. About (70%) were non-members of social organizations, the mean years of formal education was 10.45 years. The pattern of land ownership favors inheritance (45.71%) with a mean farm size of 0.62 ha. Similarly, the average revenue per ha was N439, 878.4, gross margin was N262, 159.2 and net farm income of N242, 115.2. The rate of return on investment, rate of return on variable cost, profitability index, operating ratio and capital turnover of 122, 236.23, 0.55, 0.40, and 2.22 respectively, indicated that biofortified yellow cassava production is profitable in the study area. The results further showed that educational level (P< 0.05), farming experience (P< 0.10), quantity of manure (P< 0.10), farm size (P< 0.01) and labour (P< 0.01) had positive and significant influence on the output of biofortified yellow cassava. Policy measures to maximize profit in biofortified yellow cassava production should consider the identified socio-economic variables.