Economic prospects of a rubber-cassava agroforestry in Nigeria

A study to determine the financial benefits of intercropping immature rubber plantation with cassava in South Eastern Nigeria was carried out at the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Iyanomo near Benin City. The study was set up in a randomized complete block design with each treatment replicated three times. Yield data generated were used to determine the profitability of the systems. The results showed economic yield from rubber as the rubber trees did not attain tappable girth throughout the duration of the study. a mean yield of about 25.72 tonnes of cassava tuber were generated from the sole cassava treatments for the four years period while a mean yield of about 22.92 tonnes of cassava tuber per hectare were generated from the cassava + rubber intercrop treatments in the same period. A total amount of 160,000 Naira was spent in four years as cost of intercropping. Total revenue generated from the sales of cassava in the rubber + cassava system was 900, 000.00 Naira per hectare with a Gross Margin and profit margin of 740,000 Naira and 673, 090.98 Naira respectively. A profitability index of the rubber + cassava system was 0.75, indicating that, 75% of the total amount invested in the rubber + cassava system was recovered in the first four years compared to the additional costs incurred in the sole rubber plantation treatment. This study showed that intercropping cassava with rubber during the immature phase of rubber plantation guarantee early return on investment and more profitable compared with sole rubber plantation systems.