Volume 10, Issue 22, July - December 2024

Determinants of maize production efficiency: A stochastic frontier analysis across farm scales in Southwest, Nigeria

Tolulope Seun Olubunmi-Ajayi^1♦, Olanrewaju Peter Oladoyin², James Adebayo³, Olabimpe Banke Akintuyi¹

¹Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
²Department of Agricultural Economics, Adekunle Ajasin University, P. M. B.001, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
³Department of Electrical and Electronics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the determinants of maize production efficiency in different farms in South Western Nigeria using stochastic frontier analysis. Primary data collected through a well-structured questionnaire was used for the study. A sample of 240 maize farmers was randomly selected for the study. The findings reveal significant differences in technical, allocative, and economic efficiency between small, medium, and large maize farms. Smallholder farmers showed the highest variability in efficiency, mainly due to limited access to resources and suboptimal use of inputs. Medium-scale farms have demonstrated a moderate level of efficiency, benefiting from better management practices and resource allocation. Large farms showed consistently high efficiency and emphasized the advantages of economies of scale. Key determinants of maize production efficiency identified in this study include herbicide rate, labour, seed, and farm size, with fertilizer use showing mixed effects. The result further shows that age, education, farm size, farming experience, and access to credit significantly affect allocative efficiency across scales. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions to increase resource efficiency, improve access to agricultural inputs, and promote the adoption of good agricultural practices at all scales of maize production. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and agricultural stakeholders, highlighting the importance of addressing inefficiencies and promoting technological innovation to increase maize productivity in the field. By improving efficiency, farmers can achieve higher yields, increase food security, and contribute to the economic development of the region.

Keywords: Efficiency, maize, production, scale economies, stochastic frontiers, Nigeria

Discovery Agriculture, 2024, 10, e19da1593

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v10i22.e19da1593

Published: 07 September 2024