Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences Farm size and Technical Efficiency of Rice Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the technical efficiency and the sources of inefficiency in large scale and small scale rice production in Imo State, Nigeria during the 2009 cropping season, using a stochastic frontier production function which incorporates a model for inefficiency effects. A sample of 160 farmers selected using the multi-stage stratified random sampling techniques were used to generate primary data with structured and validated questionnaire through the cost-route approach. Results showed that factors that affected the output of rice farmers were labour, capital, land and planting materials. Low capital base for investment, poor extension contact and poor access to credit were the major factors that influenced farmers' level of technical efficiency. The mean technical efficiency were 0.65 and 0.69 for large and small scale farmers respectively, which implies that the mean technical efficiency index could be increased by 35% and 31% for large scale and scale farmers respectively through efficient reallocation of the available resources