This study investigated the determinants of cocoyam production among small holder cocoyam
farmers in Ekiti State. The study employed stratified random sampling technique to select 90 cocoyam
farmers from six communities across the three agricultural zones in the State. Data collected from the
respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and factor analysis. The results
obtained from the analyses showed that the average age of cocoyam farmers in the area was 54 years, with
majority of them (about 70%) being males. On the level of education of the respondents, about 30% of the
farmers had no formal education, while majority (41%) stopped at the primary school level. Virtually all
the respondents intercropped cocoyam with crops such as cassava, maize and vegetables The major
household level socioeconomic determinants of cocoyam output as revealed by the regression analysis
include gender, household size, farm size, farming experience and land ownership status of the farmers. At
the societal level, the results of the factor analysis show that the major constraining factors to cocoyam
production were economic/institutional factor such as high cost of farm inputs and inadequate extension
contacts, techno-infrastructural such as poor storage facilities and lack of access to mechanized services,
and socio-financial factor such as land tenure problem and inadequate finance. The foregoing suggests that
enhancing access of cocoyam farmers to cultivable land through favourable policies will increase
production. In addition, credit facilities should be made available to them in form of soft loans to enable
them procure necessary inputs for production. Provision of required infrastructural facilities and education
of the farmers through extension services should be made a priority by government for sustained food
production