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The study aimed to focus on the effect of the processing parameters on the physicochemical properties of oil from roselle seed.

Fine and coarse samples of the ground roselle seeds were conditioned to the moisture contents of 4.4‐10.4 per cent and 5.14‐11.14 per cent. Oil was expressed at applied pressures of 15‐37.5 MPa with 7.5 MPa interval using hydraulic oil extractor for between 10‐40 min. at increment of 10 min. and at the heating temperatures of 80, 90, 100 and 110°C over a period of 15‐30 min. at an increment of 5 min. All the physicochemical properties were determined using AOAC and AOCS methods [AOAC, 1984; AOCS, 1994].

The free fatty acid, peroxide values and the colour intensity of the oil were affected by the processing parameters; while saponification value, viscosity, specific gravity, refractive index and the iodine value of the oil were not affected by the expression parameters.

Processing parameters were found to affect the quality attributes of free fatty acid, peroxide values and the colour intensity of the oil.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the physicochemical properties of oil produced from Roselle seeds.

The oil was produced from the seeds by mechanical expression and the physicochemical properties of the oil determined using the AOAC methods.

The values of the physicochemical properties of oil from Roselle seed are saponification value 126.2, iodine value 111.2, viscosity 22.5 cp, refractive index 1.4472 and specific gravity 0.9558. The peroxide value varied between 6.0‐9.3 and 5.9‐9.0; and free fatty acid, 0.435‐2.300 and 0.510‐3.311 for fine and coarse samples, respectively. These values compared favourably with standard values, indicating that the oil extracted is edible.

The properties are useful in determining the suitability of the oil from the Roselle seeds as edible oil or for other industrial purposes.

The study was conducted to investigate the economics of dry season vegetable production in Ogun state, Nigeria.

Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and regression analysis model were used to analyze the data collected from 120 respondents using multistage sampling technique.

Descriptive statistics showed that while the mean age of the farmers was 62.1 ± 38.78, the mean farming experience was 17.3 ± 12.84. Majority (56.7%) of the respondents were uneducated. Vegetable enterprise in the area was male-dominant. The result of budgetary analysis revealed that the average net and total income were ₦ 55,405.29 and ₦ 131,514, respectively. While the average total variable cost was ₦ 64,767.29, average total cost was ₦ 76,108.70. Benefit cost ratio and rate of returns were 1.73 and 0.73, respectively. The regression analysis revealed that revenue from vegetable production in the study area was influenced by farm size, seed quantity, farming experience, quantity of labor and fertilizer used.

It is therefore imperative for policymakers to encourage dry season vegetable farming as a viable enterprise option for the unemployed and upcoming entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the government should design and implement policies that would improve access to land, labor, quality seed, water and fertilizers.

The study adds to the growing body of literature on inherent prospects for labor and entrepreneurs as regards the opportunities latent in dry season farming activities.