Profitability analysis of involvement of Youth Maize Farmers in Iwo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria

The determinants, constraints, and profitability analysis of youth involvement in maize production were investigated within some selected communities in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. The study objective was to investigate the profitability of the cultivation of maize among youth farmers in the study location. The approach used deployed structured questionnaires to obtain primary data from 150 respondents selected using a two-stage sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. The profitability analysis showed that with a total cost of $76.64, the accrued gross margin and net farm income were found to be $ 239.55 and $239.16, respectively. The rate of return on investment (RROI) and return on investment (ROI) was estimated to be 3.12 and 4.12, respectively. Also, age (r = 0.203), years of education (r = 0.236), and farming experience (r = 0.321) revealed a positive and significant relationship, while household size (r = 0.012) and farm size (r = 0.156) revealed a positive but no significant relationship with respondents’ involvement in maize production. The findings of the study revealed that inadequate capital, inadequate farmland, and poor government attention are some of the constraints to youth farmers' participation, while the profitability analysis showed that maize cultivation in the study location is a profitable agribusiness. Policies that encourage capacity-building programs aimed at increasing productivity, profitability, and sustainable rural employment among youth maize farmers in Iwo Local Government Area.