Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: January | Volume: 4 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 114-125
Technical Efficiency of Yam Based Intercropping System among Farmers in Abia State, Nigeria (Using Trans - Log Frontier Production Function)
Ume, S.I1, Ebe F.E2, Ochiaka C.D3, Ochiaka J.S4
1Department of Agricultural Extension aand Management Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, IvoLocal Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
2Department of Agricultural Economics and extension Michael Okpara University of 2Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia. Abia State, Nigeria
3Department of Agricultural Economics and Extenstion Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
4Department of Commercial Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture Enugu, Enugu State.
Corresponding Author: Ume, S.I
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to estimate technical efficiency of yam - based intercropping system among smallholder farmers in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics such as percentage response and frequency distribution were used to determine the socio-economic characteristics of the farmer and the constraints to yam based enterprise. Trans –Log Frontier Production Function was adopted to estimate technical efficiency of the farmers. 120 farmers were randomly selected from ten villages in the study area. Primary and secondary data were collected and used for the study. The result showed that 78 percent of the respondents were males, while 22 percent were females. Age bracket of 41 and above constituted the majority (80 percent) of the yam intercropping farmers in the study area. 47.5 percent of the respondents had secondary education, while the least, 14.2 percent had tertiary education. The result also indicated that majority (54.2 percent) of the respondents cultivated 1-2 hectares of land. The determinant factors to technical efficiency in yam enterprise production were: education, farming experience and extension contact. The major constraints to yam intercropping in the study area were poor access to credit (76 percent), high cost of planting material (54 percent), and high cost of labour (73 percent). The study recommended that extension agents should be well motivated through training and provision of other incentives which will help to improve on their effectiveness. More so, there is need to ensure policy option on fertilizer subsidy in order to make the resources affordable to poor resource farmers at farm level. Furthermore, policy options aimed at enhancing farmers’ access to credit, education and improved production inputs should be formulated.
Key words: Technical, Efficiency, Yam, Intercropping, Farmers.
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