Caroline Geetha Rosle Mohidin Vivin Vincent Chandran Victoria Chong
This study was designed to examine the relative technical efficiency and its determinants on gender basis in maize production in Essien Udim Local Government area of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 100 maize farmers, (50 males and 50 females) from five out of eight clans in the Local Government Area. Data were collected using a well structured questionnaire and interview schedule administered on the respondents were analyzed using description tools and stochastic frontier production function. The estimated farm level technical efficiency for male and female farmers were 93 percent and 98 percent respectively. Results further indicated that the estimated production function revealed that farm size at 1 percent and quantity of fertilizer at 1 percent significantly influenced the maize production function for male farmers while farm size at 1 percent, labour at 5 percent, maize seeds at 10 percent and quantity of fertilizer at 10 percent significantly influenced that of the female farmers. Household size, extension contact, marital status, educational status, and credit access were found to be positively and significantly related to the technical efficiency of the male farmers while age, cooperative membership, and farm size were negatively but significantly related to their technical efficiency. For the female farmers, household size, credit access and farm size were positively significant while age and educational status were negative but significantly related to their technical efficiency. The results therefore call for policies aimed at encouraging the youths who are agile and young and experience to engage in maize production. Female farmers should be allowed access to farm land and other farm input and technologies for improved efficiency.
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