Production Trend and Socio-Economic Variables Influencing output of Trifoliate Yam (Dioscorea Dumentorum) Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria: Implication for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Production

Trifoliate yam (Dioscorea dumentorum) is a cheap and important specie of yam that is highly yielding and contains proteins, vitamins and minerals.  It is also medicinal and can be used in manufacturing different pharmaceutical products.  Yet in recent time, the crop is not commonly found in the study area and  may be  driven into extinction.  The  study therefore assessed production trend and socio-economic variables affecting output of trifoliate yam farmers  in Enugu State, Nigeria.  Three agricultural zones, six blocks, i8 circles and 108 trifoliate yam farmers that were purposively selected from the State constituted sample for the study. Validated interview schedule was used to collect data while mean score, standard deviation, Pearson correlation and factor analysis were used  in analysing  the data . Findings of the study show that trifoliate yam farmers were males who were married and middle aged.    Years of experience in trifoliate yam production (0.254; p≤0.008), farm size (0.364; p≤0.000) and portion of farmland cultivated with trifoliate yam   (50.421; p≤0.000) were socio-economic factors that had positive and significant relationship with its output. The study concluded that input and income from trifoliate yam  had been increasing while output  had been decreasing irrespective of the fact that size of land allocated to its production had not changed.  Years of experience, farm size .and  portion of farm land cultivated with trifoliate yam  were  factors that determined/influenced output of trifoliate yam  in the area.