Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Improving labour productivity and technical efficiency in food crop production: A panacea for poverty reduction in Nigeria

Author(s):

S. O. Ojo

Recieved Date: 2004-01-09, Accepted Date: 2004-04-21

Abstract:

Labour productivity and technical efficiency of farmers in food crop production in Nigeria were studied in four local government areas in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 200 yam farmers selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function. Results showed that labour from family source was mostly used in yam production and yam production was in small-scale category. Labour for land preparation and maintenance with farm, distance and farming experience showed negative decreasing function to the factors and reduced yam output. The technical efficiency analysis confirmed the presence of technical inefficiency effects in yam production as shown by the significant gamma value of 0.917. Also, the technical efficiency of farmers ranged between 0.39 and 0.95 with mean technical efficiency of 0.77, implying average technical efficiency. Production, productivity and technical efficiency would be improved if those variables with negative elasticities of production are improved upon and thus poverty would be reduced among the farmers.

Keywords:

Labour, productivity, technical efficiency, poverty reduction, Nigeria, stochastic frontier production function

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2004
Volume: 2
Issue: 2
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 227-231

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