This study analyzed the economics of dry season vegetable (Amaranthus Cruentus) in Jalingo Local Government Area of
Taraba State, Nigeria. Specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of vegetable farmers,
estimate costs and returns of vegetable production and identify the problems associated with vegetable production in the
study area. Data were collected from 90 respondents using purposive and random sampling techniques and were analyzed
using descriptive statistics and gross margin analysis. Results showed that majority (66.67%) were male and most of the
respondents (83.33%) were below 40 years of age. Most of the farmers (64.44%) have household size of between 6-10
people and 50% were married. Also, 61.11% of vegetable farmers had formal education ranging from primary to tertiary
level. Majority (67.78%) of the farmers got less N20, 000 per month as their income and most (88.89%) of the farmers
were small-holders operating less than 2.00 hectares of farmland. Results of the gross margin analysis revealed that the
average variable cost per hectare was N67, 400 which represents 88.22% of the total cost of farming. The total cost of
vegetable (Amaranthus) production per hectare was N6, 400. The Total Revenue (TR), Gross Margin (GM) Net Farm
Income (NFI) and Return on Naira invested (ROI) on Amaranthus farming were: N102, 880, N35, 480, N26, 480 and
N0.35 respectively. This result implied that vegetable (Amaranthus) production is a profitable venture in the study area.
Major problems confronting dry-season vegetable (Amaranthus) production were identified among others as: inadequate
source of irrigation water (95.56%), pest and disease attack (97.78%), inadequate credit facilities (98.89%), high cost of
water pumping machine (92.22%), lack of storage facilities (90.00%) and high cost of farm inputs (93.33%).
Recommendations were made that vegetable (Amaranthus) farmers should join or form cooperative society in order to get
financial support from government, NGOs, as well as source credit facilities from financial institutions. Also Government
should encourage vegetable farmers to boost dry-season farming by constructing bole holes and reservoirs, as well
subsidizing the price of farm inputs and water pumping machine, to make them accessible and affordable to farmers in the
study area.