Application of Enterprise Budgeting in Improving Decision-Making on Commercial Poultry Farms in Lagos State

Commercial poultry farming in Lagos State, Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone, operates in a highly competitive and cost-sensitive business environment shaped by volatile feed prices, fluctuating consumer demand, and periodic disease outbreaks. Farm managers who rely on intuition rather than structured financial planning tools frequently fail to optimise resource allocation or identify unprofitable enterprise components. This study examines the application of enterprise budgeting as a decision-support tool in improving farm management outcomes on commercial poultry farms in Lagos State. A purposive sample of 60 commercial poultry operators was selected from Ikorodu, Epe, and Badagry divisions. Data on current planning practices, income sources, and expenditure patterns were collected using semi-structured interviews and financial records review. Enterprise budgets were constructed for broiler and layer operations separately, and operators were trained in their interpretation and use. A pre-post assessment design was used to measure changes in decision-making quality and income efficiency three months after training. Results indicate that operators who applied enterprise budgets reduced feed waste by an average of 12 percent and improved flock replacement scheduling by a measurable margin. Profitability analysis using budgets revealed that 22 percent of operators were unwittingly cross-subsidising an unprofitable enterprise component. The study recommends that poultry associations in Lagos institutionalise quarterly enterprise budgeting reviews and that the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture provide standardised digital budgeting templates to members. Keywords: enterprise budgeting, poultry farming, decision-making, Lagos State, farm profitability