Socioeconomic Factors and Climate-Smart Practices Influencing Vegetable Farming Profit in Egbeda, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic characteristics and climate-smart agricultural practices on the profitability of vegetable farming in Egbeda Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The research aimed to determine how farmers’ demographic and economic factors, coupled with the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, shape their income and sustainability outcomes. Primary data were collected from 145 randomly selected vegetable farmers using a structured questionnaire, and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple linear regression. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents were male (67.6%), within the productive age bracket of 31–40 years, and operating on small-scale farms of less than one hectare. Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices such as crop rotation (73.1%), mulching (69.7%), and use of improved seeds (69.0%) was relatively high, reflecting increasing awareness of sustainable production systems. However, challenges including inadequate facilities, high input costs, and limited extension contact constrained adoption. Regression analysis showed that farm size (β = 1.581), association membership (β = 0.926), and access to climate-smart agricultural information (β = 0.737) significantly (p < 0.05) influenced monthly profit, while the direct effect of climate-smart agricultural adoption was positive but not statistically significant. The study concludes that socioeconomic factors, institutional participation, and information access are key determinants of profitability and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder vegetable farmers. Strengthening farmers’ access to land, input resources, and cooperative networks, alongside integrated extension services and multi-channel information dissemination, will enhance climate-smart agriculture adoption and profitability. The findings contribute to the empirical discourse on climate-smart agribusiness and align with Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 13 (Climate Action), supporting Nigeria’s transition toward resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.