Technical Efficiency Among Cassava Farmers im Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cassava has played and continues to play a remarkable role on the agricultural stage of Nigeria. The inability of the country meeting existing demand has been traced to resource use efficiency of the farmers.  The study evaluates the technical efficiency among cassava farmers in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Primary data employed in the study were obtained from 155 cassava farmers selected through a 2-Stage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier model. Results showed that the return to scale was 1.814. Cassava stem cuttings (0.484), quantity of fertilizer used (0.614) and the farm size (0.427) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected cassava production. Age and farming experience contributed to technical inefficiency while cassava stem cuttings, quantity of fertilizer used and the farm size enhanced technical efficiency. Efficiency of cassava growers ranged between 35.1 and 97.0 with a mean of 68.5. It was concluded that cassava production was highly profitable and farmers operated with maximum efficiency given the current technology. The study recommends increased area under cultivation and improved cassava varieties coupled with other inputs to boost to productivity of farmers.

Key Words: Technical efficiency, Cassava farmers, Demand, Farm size, Profitable