Profitability Analysis of Selected Garden Crops in Santa Subdivision of North West Region in Cameroon

Abstract

Aims: To undertake a profitability analysis of selected garden crops (leek, celery, carrot, and cabbage) in the Santa subdivision, North West Region of Cameroon, in order to determine the crop with the highest financial returns. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of Study: Five village communities in Santa subdivision a key gardening hub in Mezam division, North West Region of Cameroon, between 2023 and 2024. Methodology: Empirical data was collected from 307 farmers (97 leek farmers, 80 celery farmers, 70 carrot farmers, and 61 cabbage farmers) through a cross-sectional survey. Profitability analysis, Net Farm Income Margin (NFIM), Economic Farm Income (EFI), and Return on Investment (ROI) were performed for each crop and compared. Production costs and revenue were calculated for each crop. Results: Leek cultivation incurred the highest production cost (FCFA 2,265,011.27/ha), followed by celery (FCFA 2,321,519.81/ha), carrot (FCFA 1,925,666.23/ha), and cabbage (FCFA 1,380,926.47/ha). Leek cultivation generated the highest revenue (FCFA 3,661,353/ha). Economic farm income (EFI) analysis revealed the highest profit for leeks (FCFA 2,294,558.64/ha), and a return on investment (ROI) of 1.01, followed by celery, carrot, and cabbage in descending order of profit relevance. Overall, leeks performed financially better than the other studied garden crops. Conclusion: Leeks can generate higher revenue and profits followed by celery, carrots, and cabbage in the Santa subdivision. Profitability analysis is a prerequisite for investing in gardening when optimizing profit is the ultimate goal. Further research in other contexts is needed to confirm if this trend persists across space and time. **Note: 1 USD ≈ 610 FCFA (West African Financial Community Franc)