Allocative Efficiency of Smallholder Cocoyam Farmers in South-South, Nigeria
Allocative Efficiency of Smallholder Cocoyam Farmers in South-South, Nigeria
Wilcox G. I., Ugwumba C. O. A., Achike A. I., Agbagwaa C., Uche F.B.
The study examined the levels of allocative efficiency,
socio-economic determinants of allocative efficiency and constraints to
cocoyam production among smallholder farmers in South-South Nigeria.
Multistage, purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select
200 cocoyam (100- Colocasia and 100- Xanthosoma spp.) farmers for the
study. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire
administered by personal interview. Descriptive and Parametric
statistics involving Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier cost function was
used for data analyses using the maximum likelihood method. Results of
the analyses indicated that majority (69%) of the farmers were females;
78% attained some level of formal education and 45% operated between
0.1-0.6 hactares of land. The Colocasia and Xanthosoma spp. farmers
showed varying levels of allocative efficiency with no farmer attaining
100%allocative efficiency level. The mean, minimum and maximum
efficiency levels for the two varieties were; 0.56, 0.31 and 0.86 and
then 0.42, 0.22 and 0.82 respectively. The maximum likelihood estimates
for the cost factors were positive and statistically significant for
both varieties of cocoyam while the significant gamma (γ) values of 0.63
and 0.51 establishes the fact that inefficiency exists among the
sampled farmers. The determinants of allocative efficiency were farming
experience, age and household size. Allocative efficiency can be
improved for cocoyam (Colocasia and Xanthosoma spp.) through cost
savings of 39.5% and 73.4% for the efficient and inefficient farmers.
The major constraints to cocoyam production in the area were scarcity of
improved high yielding corms, lack of capital, high cost of labour,
high cost of transportation, lack of storage facilities, diseases and
pests. It is therefore recommended that farmers should cut down on some
of the cost incurring variables like labour and corms for planting
through optimizing the use of family labour and growing the corms needed
for future planting season. Again, since the ages of cocoyam farmers
and farming experience were very significant in the production of
cocoyam, it is recommended that the extension agents organize seminars
in the Local Government Areas and State levels were young and upcoming
entrepreneurs can be trained and educated by the older farmers in order
to exhibit higher levels of entrepreneurial capabilities and efficiency
leading to higher farm output.
10.22161/ijeab/1.4.24
http://ijeab.com/upload_document/issue_files/24%20IJEAB-NOV-2016-43-Allocative%20Efficiency%20of%20Smallholder%20Cocoyam%20Farmers%20in%20South-South,%20Nigeria.pdf
ijeab.com/submit-paper/
Wilcox G. I., Ugwumba C. O. A., Achike A. I., Agbagwaa C., Uche F.B.
The study examined the levels of allocative efficiency,
socio-economic determinants of allocative efficiency and constraints to
cocoyam production among smallholder farmers in South-South Nigeria.
Multistage, purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select
200 cocoyam (100- Colocasia and 100- Xanthosoma spp.) farmers for the
study. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire
administered by personal interview. Descriptive and Parametric
statistics involving Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier cost function was
used for data analyses using the maximum likelihood method. Results of
the analyses indicated that majority (69%) of the farmers were females;
78% attained some level of formal education and 45% operated between
0.1-0.6 hactares of land. The Colocasia and Xanthosoma spp. farmers
showed varying levels of allocative efficiency with no farmer attaining
100%allocative efficiency level. The mean, minimum and maximum
efficiency levels for the two varieties were; 0.56, 0.31 and 0.86 and
then 0.42, 0.22 and 0.82 respectively. The maximum likelihood estimates
for the cost factors were positive and statistically significant for
both varieties of cocoyam while the significant gamma (γ) values of 0.63
and 0.51 establishes the fact that inefficiency exists among the
sampled farmers. The determinants of allocative efficiency were farming
experience, age and household size. Allocative efficiency can be
improved for cocoyam (Colocasia and Xanthosoma spp.) through cost
savings of 39.5% and 73.4% for the efficient and inefficient farmers.
The major constraints to cocoyam production in the area were scarcity of
improved high yielding corms, lack of capital, high cost of labour,
high cost of transportation, lack of storage facilities, diseases and
pests. It is therefore recommended that farmers should cut down on some
of the cost incurring variables like labour and corms for planting
through optimizing the use of family labour and growing the corms needed
for future planting season. Again, since the ages of cocoyam farmers
and farming experience were very significant in the production of
cocoyam, it is recommended that the extension agents organize seminars
in the Local Government Areas and State levels were young and upcoming
entrepreneurs can be trained and educated by the older farmers in order
to exhibit higher levels of entrepreneurial capabilities and efficiency
leading to higher farm output.
10.22161/ijeab/1.4.24
http://ijeab.com/upload_document/issue_files/24%20IJEAB-NOV-2016-43-Allocative%20Efficiency%20of%20Smallholder%20Cocoyam%20Farmers%20in%20South-South,%20Nigeria.pdf
ijeab.com/submit-paper/
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