RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY IN HONEY PRODUCTION IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study accessed the resource use efficiency of Bee farmers in   Abia state. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 120 bee farmers from two Agricultural zones-Ohaofia and Umuahia. Questionnaire and interview methods were used to gather information from the farmers and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the analysis showed that the mean age of the respondents was 41 years with the majority (53.7%) of the farmers married, having a mean household size of 5 persons and a mean educational level of 16 years. The mean income was N77562.50 with an average experience of 5 years. The coefficient of the number of beehives and baiting material were both significant at a 1% level and were positively related to the output of honey.  The study revealed that honey production in the study area was a sustainable and profitable venture. It is revealed in the study that for every one naira spent in the process of production and marketing, not less than two naira was realized as profit. The study recommended that Bee farmers in the study area should be given proper training on the rudiments of beekeeping.to ensure a proper understanding of the use of modern equipment and adopt technology capable of increasing not only the profitability of the enterprise but also making efficient use of the resources available for honey production since the resources were overused.