EXAMINING ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING CROP PRODUCTION IN FOREST AND COASTAL SAVANNAH TRANSITION ZONES

Аннотация

INTRODUCTION vegetables. Agriculture is a critical economic activity in the forest and coastal savannah transition zones, Understanding the economic factors that influence regions that represent the interface between two crop production in these transition zones is distinct ecosystems: the humid forest to the south essential for improving agricultural productivity, and the semi-arid savannah to the north. These ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable transition zones, characterized by a mix of tropical development in these areas. Key economic factors and subtropical climatic conditions, present unique such as land tenure, input costs, labor availability, challenges and opportunities for crop production. and access to markets all play critical roles in The varying climate, soil types, and resource determining the success of agricultural systems in availability between these two regions have these regions. Additionally, climate variability, significant implications for agricultural practices, which includes changes in rainfall patterns and particularly in the cultivation of fruits and temperature fluctuations, significantly impacts the https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajhfr 1 THE USA JOURNALS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND FLORICULTURE RESEARCH (ISSN – 2689-0976) VOLUME 06 ISSUE12 productivity and viability of crops. transition zones. The sample population is selected from a range of smallholder farms that produce Despite the growing importance of agriculture in fruits and vegetables, which are the focus of this the transition zones, there remains a lack of research. The survey is designed to collect data on comprehensive research that explores the complex farm characteristics, including farm size, crop interplay between these economic and types, labor inputs, farming techniques, land environmental factors. While much of the existing tenure arrangements, and access to resources such literature focuses on individual aspects of as irrigation and fertilizers. Additionally, socio- agricultural economics, there is a need for a holistic economic data such as household income, analysis that takes into account the unique education level, and access to credit are collected to ecological and socio-economic contexts of the understand the broader economic context in which forest-coastal savannah interface. Such an analysis farming occurs. can help identify the key drivers of agricultural success and failure, and provide valuable insights Climate-related data, such as rainfall patterns, for policymakers, farmers, and agricultural temperature, and seasonality, are also collected organizations. from local weather stations and agricultural extension services. These data provide insight into This study seeks to fill this gap by examining the how weather and environmental conditions economic factors affecting crop production in the influence crop yields and farmers' ability to predict forest and coastal savannah transition zones, with and manage production risks. a particular focus on fruits and vegetables. Using an econometric approach, the research aims to Econometric Model Formulation quantify the effects of various economic and Once the data is collected, the next step is to environmental variables on crop yields, develop an econometric model that links crop profitability, and overall agricultural productivity. production (output) to various economic and The findings will provide evidence-based environmental factors (inputs). A production recommendations to help farmers optimize function approach is used to model the relationship production, adapt to environmental challenges, between agricultural inputs and outputs, where and enhance the sustainability of agriculture in crop yield is the dependent variable and the factors these regions. affecting production are the independent variables.