Technical Efficiency among Women Cassava Small Holder Farmers in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State

摘要

This study was carried out to investigate resource use efficiency of women cassava producers in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. A multi stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 women farmers in the local government in the year 2013. Percentage response was used to determine the farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, stochastic frontier and simultaneously, its’ determinant were addressed using the maximum likelihood methods. The results of the study show that level of education, farming experience and extension contact were positive and significantly related to technical efficiency while credit access had inverse relationship with technical efficiency. The mean technical efficiency was 0.56, the maximum efficiency was 0.97, while the minimum was 0.23. Policies aimed at encouraging both new entrant and older farmers into farming through provision of improved production inputs and as well as increasing farmers’ access to extension contact and educational programmes were therefore recommended.