Technical efficiency of lowland rice production under Sawah system in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger state, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the technical efficiency of lowland rice production under Sawah system in Lavun Local Government  Area in Niger State, Nigeria. A random sampling technique was used to select 150 Sawah rice farmers for the study. Data for the study  were collected using structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach. The estimation of technical efficiency was achieved using stochastic frontier production function. The result revealed that Sawah rice farming dominated by male farmers (97%)  with the mean age of 42 years. The study also revealed that weed control through proper water management was the mostly used  component of the technology (97.3%) followed by improved seed (97.2%). The stochastic frontier model estimates revealed that all the  estimated coefficients of the production function were positive except for labor and farm size. The study showed that the mean technical  efficiency of individual Sawah rice farmer was 50%. Also, the study showed that age, membership of cooperative society, education,  family size, extension services, and farming experience were the significant determinants of technical efficiency among Sawah rice  farmers while lack of market for paddy was the most serious problems faced by the farmers (92.4%) in the study area. The result of SFPF  revealed that technical inefficiency effects were present in Sawah rice production in the area. Farmers’ technical efficiency can be  enhanced through improved farmers’ specific efficiency factors which include improved education, and access to extension services. It  was therefore recommended that adequate linkage between extension agents and farmers should be established for capacity building  and improved technical efficiency. Also, policy should be directed toward making the technology less labour intensive by National Center  for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM).