International Journal of Horticulture 2015, Vol.5, No.10, 1
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7
3
A=
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2
1
2
22
21
1
12
11
mn
m m
n
n
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
B=
m
w
w
w
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2
1
C = AB =
mn
m m
n
n
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
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2
1
2
22
21
1
12
11
m
w
w
w
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2
1
=
m
c
c
c
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2
1
Matrix A gives the distribution of plantain farmers
according to constraints to production. The matrix
indicates that there are ‘m’ constraints, to be put in ‘n’
categories of rank.
Matrix B is the weight attached to each of the ranks,
w
i
is the weight attached to rank j where i = j, i
=1,2 .m and j =1,2 .n. w
1
is the weight attached to rank
1,w
2
to rank 2 etc matrix C gives the product of
matrices A and B, (AB). It is the total value of
importance attached to each constraint. For example
C
3
= f
31
w
1
+ . + f
3n
w
m
= total value of importance
attached to constraint 3. C
i
is the total value of
importance attached to constraint i .
Importance rating for constraint i =
Where
i
= f
i.
= n = total number of farmers selecting
constraint i as important.
Importance index =
Such that f
i
is the number of farmers (frequency)
ranking constraint i as the most important (highest
rank). This will assist in ordering constraints to
plantain production for attention to increase its
production.
Results And Discussion
The identified risk sources and their ranking in order
of importance are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
Generally, in the two zones, unsecured land tenure
was not an important risk source. None of the farmers
considered it as an important risk source in Iwo zone
and only 5 percent of the respondents in Ife/Ijesa zone
considered it as one of the risk sources. The
respondents in Iwo zone have high security to the
right to use their farmlands. None of them anticipated
land tenure insecurity in the nearest future that could
affect their farming. This conforms with Alimi &
Ayanwale (2005) who observed that none of farmers
considered unsecured land tenure important risk in
onion production in Kebbi State of Nigeria.
All the respondents in the zones (Iwo and Ife/Ijesa)
mentioned pests and diseases and shortage of capital
as important risk sources. In the zones, not less than
70 percent of the respondents considered theft, high
input price, and non-availability of labor and poor
transportation system as risk sources. Unlike in
Ife/Ijesa zone where all the respondents (100 percent)
considered poor transportation system as important
risk source, 74 percent of the respondents in Iwo zone
considered it as important risk. More than 60 percent
of the respondents in Iwo zone ranked wind on a 1 to
6 scale (one being the most important and six being
the least important), compared to Ife/Ijesa zone where
only 25 percent of the respondents ranked it among
the most important six. Out of 56 percent of farmers in
Ife/Ijesa that considered bad weather as risk source, 45
percent of the respondents ranked it within 1-6 scale
while in Iwo zone only 27 percent of the farmers
stated it as risk source and only 16 percent of the
farmers ranked it within 1-6 scale. Analysis of ranking
of risk sources by plantain farmers on a 1 to 6 scale
(Table 1a and Table 2a) indicated that respondents
in the zones rated shortage of capital as the most
important risk source. It was so important that none of
the farmers in Iwo zone ranked it lower than fourth
position in importance. This is followed by poor
transportation
system and non-availability of labor. Damage due to
