Resource Use Efficiency in Part-time Food Crop Production: The Stochastic Frontier Approach

In this paper, stochastic frontier production model was used to analyze the resource use efficiency of part-time food crop farmers in Idah, North Central Nigeria. The result shows that farm size, labour and planting materials are significant determinants of farm output in part-time food crop farming. Analysis of inefficiency factors reveal the significant inefficiency variables to include; level of education, household size and farming experience. The result also shows that over 72% of part-time farmers were above average in resource use efficiency; maximum efficiency is 0.98, while minimum efficiency is 0.36 with mean efficiency of 0.65. The study also revealed that rising age and household size contribute to resource use inefficiency in part-time food crop farming, while level of education and years of farming experience increased resource use efficiency among the sample farmers. Implications are that policies that would encourage relatively younger and educated persons and provide them easy access to improved seeds and fertilizers will go a long way in enhancing resource use efficiency in part-time food crop farming