Application of Linear Programming to Crop Production Planning in Kano State Agricultural Settlements

Agricultural productivity in Kano State, located in the North West geopolitical zone of Nigeria, is constrained by limited arable land, seasonal water availability, and fluctuating market prices for staple crops. This study applies linear programming techniques to optimise crop allocation decisions for smallholder farmers in three selected agricultural settlements: Danbatta, Tudun Wada, and Gezawa Local Government Areas. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 120 farming households, capturing land holdings, input costs, labour availability, and expected yields for groundnut, maize, sorghum, and cowpea. The simplex method is employed to maximise total seasonal revenue subject to land, labour, water, and capital constraints. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the stability of optimal solutions under price fluctuations of plus or minus 15 percent. Results indicate that the optimal crop mix allocates 42 percent of available land to groundnut and 31 percent to maize, yielding an estimated 28 percent improvement in gross revenue compared to current farmer practice. Binding constraints are identified as seasonal water availability and hired labour capacity during peak planting periods. The study recommends that state extension services integrate linear programming tools into farm advisory systems to guide planting decisions. These findings demonstrate the practical utility of operations research in smallholder agriculture planning within the Nigerian context. Keywords: linear programming, crop optimisation, Kano State, simplex method, smallholder farming.