Technical inefficiency and its determinants in food crops production in Imor State, Nigeria

Abstract

Technical inefficiency among food crops farmers in Imo State was estimated using stochastic translog production frontier. The mean output of food crops farmers was 20.3 tons/ha, which is 9.6 tons/ha less than the expected food crops output of 30 tons/ha, and the mean level of technical inefficiency was 61.5 percent with a wide range from 21.24 – 98.13 percent. Major determinants of technical inefficiency were education, household size, farm size, access to credit, extension contact, farming experience and family labour use. There are still opportunities for increasing technical efficiency, productivity and farm income in food crops production in Imo state if these factors and given the desired attention.