TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF CEREAL PRODUCTION IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA: A CASE FOR MAIZE, RICE AND SORGHUM FARMERS

This study estimated technical efficiency levels of cereal crops producers. The study employed the translog stochastic frontier model to estimate efficiency levels of maize, rice and sorghum producers in the survey area. Findings revealed that maize and sorghum farmers were operating in the efficiency range of 0.50 to 0.98, while for rice farmers efficiency estimates ranged between 0.71 and 0.98. Fur- thermore, it was also observed that a majority of the rice farmers operate in the range 0.91 and 0.98 efficiency levels. Also, about 18% of the farmers operate in the efficiency range of 0.81 and 0.90, while just about 14% operate in the range of 0.96 and 0.98 efficiency levels for rice production. Findings suggest that, all things been equal, most of the cereal crops producers could improve their current levels of production by adjusting their input combination