A Linear Programming Approach to Combination of Crop, Monogastric Farm Animal and Fish Enterprises in Ohafia Agricultural Zone, Abia State, Nigeria
Linear Programming technique was applied to farm data of a representative sample of farmers involved in arable crop farming in combination with monogastric farm animals and fish farming. Thirty farmers were selected from three villages within three circles in a chosen block by means of multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. Primary data were collected using well structured questionnaire on resource use and availability, input and output prices, types of enterprise combination etc. of the representative farms using the cost-route approach in Ohafia zone of Abia State, during the 2010 farming season. Data were analyzed using linear programming. The study was to solve a maximization problem of gross margin among combination of existing enterprises by this category of farmers. The programme recommended yam (0.29ha), cassava (0.02ha) and cassava/maize/cocoyam (0.13ha), broiler I – August – December (70.00 birds), fish I (220.00 fish) and layers (205.00 birds) enterprises for an average farmer in Ohafia to optimize gross margin given the available resources. Optimum gross margin for Ohafia was 72.90% greater than obtained in the existing plan.
