Resource use in sweet potato production in delta state, nigeria: a technical efficiency approach

Abstract

Sweet potato is one of the major staple crops in Nigeria and most parts Africa sub-region. Its importance continues to rise due to increased urbanization. This increase definitely come with its share of challenges that need to be addressed. The study was conducted within the framework of the rural farming households who constitute the backbone of the Nigerian agricultural sector, producing about 80 per cent of the total national agricultural output. It examined resource use in sweet potato production in Delta state, Nigeria. The specific objectives are to determine the technical efficiency of sweet potato farmers, assess the factors determining the technical efficiency of potato farmers and to determine the technical efficiency distribution of sweet potato farmers. Multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted to select 120 respondents and stochastic frontier production function employed to realize the objectives. Result of analysis showed that the least technically efficient farmers have to increase their level of production given their inputs and technology to at least 68 % for them to operate at the production frontier while the most technically efficient farmers have to increase their production to at least by 4% for them to operate on the production frontier and be fully efficient with a mean technical efficiency of 0.71. The estimates of the parameters of the production function (sweet potato seeds, labour, fertilizers and agrochemical) were positive and significant at 5% and 1% levels respectively, while capital input was positive and not significant.  Factors affecting technical inefficiency of sweet potato farmers among others included: age of farmers and farm size which were negative and significant, while household size, educational qualification, type of cropping and farming experience were all positive and significant. The following recommendations were proffered: sweet potato farmers should have access to improved sweet potato varieties, modern storage technologies, markets and extension services. Adequate financial assistance and credit facilities should also be made available to the sweet potato farmers to enable them expand their crop output.