OPTIMIZING FARM PLANS FOR ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN SELECTED AGRICULTURAL ZONES OF AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA: AN APPLICATION OF LINEAR PROGRAMMING AND T-MOTAD MODELS

This study employed Linear programming and T-MOTAD model to develop an alternative farm plan involving risk constraint for arable crop farmers in Etinan, Abak and Eket agricultural zones of Akwa Ibom State. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. A structured questionnaire was employed to obtain information from one hundred and fifty (150) (fifty in each zone) stratified randomly selected arable crop farmers in rural communities of the three zones, Linear Programming and Target-MOTAD (Minimization of Total Absolute Deviation) models were used to analyze the data. Eleven major crop enterprises were identified as the existing crop plans in the study area with average annual net returns of N317723.59, N245969.12 and N262048.39 for Etinan Abak and Eket agricultural zones. The normative (Plan IV) (single goal of maximizing net return) for an average farmer in the three zones were N559028.5, N537089.00 and N595018.30 for Etinan, Abak and Eket zones respectively, indicating an increase of 75.94%, 118.35% and 127.06% for Etinan, Abak and Eket zones over the existing plan (Plan 1) in each of the zones. The net returns of the risk efficient plans II and III were higher than the farmer’s existing plan but lower than the of Plan IV. The profit maximizing model with very high returns was of higher variability of returns (risk) than the suggested efficient plan. Capital was the only limiting resource in the study area. The study showed that farmers existing level of returns were not optimal. It recommended that the farmers in the study area should adopt the prescribed farm plans to improve their farm income and minimize risk. Farmers should be assisted and encouraged to form cooperative societies and other functional groups to raise capital and provide farm labour during critical farm operations.