Profitability of Goat Rearing Among the Rural Households in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract This study was designed to carry out an evaluation of the profitability of goat rearing among rural households in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. The aim of the study is to estimate the costs and returns to goat rearing, the determinant of goat rearing, and identified the constraints to goat rearing in the study area. Two stages sampling technique was used to collect data for this study from 60 goat farmers/keepers with the aid of well structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, cost and returns analysis, and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there is an increase in the number of goat and the quantity of feed there will be increase in the production so, goat rearing is a profitable business. The average net returns to goat rearing were estimated as N534,188.37 per annum and its production was greatly affected by the scarcity of readymade feed, high losses due to theft, inadequate capital among other constraints. The study recommends that the goat keepers should adopt a good husbandry system of management and that they should use their technical know-how efficiently in order to attain economic optimum level of production and also, Government should establish small and medium scale credit scheme in the study area and loan should be given to goat keepers (farmers) at affordable interest rate to reduce the problem of inadequate capital.