ANALYSING THE EFFICIENCY OF RESOURCE USE BY MAIZE FARMERS IN THE EASTERN AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study examined the efficiency of resource use by maize farmers in the eastern agricultural zone of Kogi State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to describe the socio-economic characteristics of maize farmers, determine the input-output relationship of maize production, determine the resource-use efficiency in maize production, and to identify the constraints to maize production in the study area four-staged sampling procedure was used, with a sample size of one hundred and twenty eight (128) maize farmers. Primary data was used for the study and collected by the use of structured questionnaires. Simple descriptive statistics, production function analysis and marginal analysis of the estimate of production function were used to analyze the data collected. Results of socio-economic characteristics show that most (94.54%) of the respondents were within the active age range of 15 – 60years. Result on marital status revealed that majority (69.53%) of the maize farmers were married and majority (97.66%) of the respondents were educated. The major determinants of maize production were found to be seed (β = 0.271) and plot size (β = 0.947). The results on resource-use efficiency revealed that maize farmer were not efficient in their use of resource. Resources such as seed (R = 24.08), herbicide (R = 24.70), fertilizer (R = 16.77) and plot size (R = 21.33) were under-utilized, pesticide (R = -12.46), capital (R = -0.002) and labour (R = 0.02) were over utilized. The major constraints are financial constraint (67.2%), poor extension services (60.2%), poor state of roads and market (57.8%), weed (54.7%) and high production cost (46.1%). It is recommended that maize farmers should be given unrestricted access to the services of well trained extension workers, farm inputs and access to formal credit facility. Also, allocation of resources in carrying out various farming activities should be monitored and an educational measure should be employed to educate farmers on how to use agricultural innovations and technologies