ABSTRACT

This study was carried out in three Local Government Areas in Kaduna State, Nigeria between August and November during the 2013 cropping season. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting respondents for this study. The first stage was purposive selection of the three Local Governments based on predominance of cocoyam production among the farmers. Secondly, nine villages were purposively selected, Three from each local government area based on their intensity of cocoyam production. Finally, a simple random sampling was employed in selecting farmers from each of the villages. Fifty percent of the sample frame (248) was used as the sample size. In all, 124 farmers were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics, net farm income and stochastic frontier production function was used in analyzing the data. The study showed that 34% of the respondents fell within the age range of 30 and 39 years. The majority of the farmers (50%) had no formal education. The household size ranged from 6-10 persons while majority of the farmers (73%) were not members of a Cooperative Society. Variables included in the model to observe the efficiency effects were age, educational status, household size, extension visit, credit and Cooperative Association. The parameters of the stochastic frontier production function were estimated simultaneously with those of the model of inefficiency effects. Results indicated that all the variables were significant (P < 0.01). The mean technical and allocative efficiencies were 83% and 61% respectively. Findings further revealed that none of the sampled cocoyam farms reached the frontier threshold. However, the average economic efficiency of the cocoyam farmers was 51%. Also, cooperative association was the only socio-economic variable responsible for the variation in technical efficiency of the cocoyam producers. It was therefore recommended that timely and adequate supply of fertilizer, seed and labour should be made available to farmers through e-wallet programme at affordable prices in order to enhance the production of cocoyam.