Technical efficiency of family poultry production in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

摘要

This study assessed the technical efficiency of family poultry production in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to generate information from 116 respondents through the administration of a questionnaire. The relevant information from 116 respondents was analysed using descriptive statistics, profitability ratio and a stochastic frontier production function (SFPF) model. The results of descriptive analysis showed that 53% of the respondents were involved in family poultry production for sale, while 39% were producing poultry for home consumption. Profitability analysis showed that backyard poultry production is profitable with average annual profit of Nigerian naira 38,834 (-US$290) and a return on investment of 7.60. The SFPF analysis showed that feeding, capital and medication had significant and positive relationships with the output of the family poultry. The result of SFPF analysis further showed that the technical efficiency of family poultry increases with an increase in family size and innovation adoption, and that women were more technically efficient in family poultry production than men. The estimated technical efficiency of family poultry production ranged between 0.09 and 0.63, with mean of 0.22. This indicates that, on average, the respondents are 22% efficient in the use of the combination of their inputs. The elasticity estimate was 12.29, which indicates that family poultry production is taking place at stage 1 (inefficient stage) in the production curve. This study concludes that the output and technical efficiency of family poultry production can be increased by the use of more feed, capital and therapeutic agents, and the adoption of more innovations. The study recommends that extension agencies should be mandated to disseminate improved technology that will stimulate family poultry production in the study area. Capital can be channelled to family poultry production through the provision of micro-credit and the formation of cooperative societies. Medicine and vaccines should be provided for family poultry production at affordable prices through the assistance of poverty-alleviation schemes and oil companies in the study area.