ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SMALL SCALE RAIN-FED LOWLAND RICE PRODUCTION IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SMALL SCALE RAIN-FED LOWLAND RICE PRODUCTION IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract:

The study evaluated the Economic of Rain-Fed Lowland Rice Production in Selected Local Government Areas of Niger State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from rice producers through the use of structured questionnaires. This study was carried out in three Local Government Areas in Niger State, Nigeria during the 2013/2014 cropping season. Purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to select respondents for the study. The tools of analysis used were; descriptive statistics, net farm income and stochastic frontier production function (SFPF). The study showed that 43% of the respondents fall within the age range of 30 to 39 years, majority of the farmers (33%) had secondary education. The household size fall within the range of 1-10 persons while majority of the farmers (50%) were not members of a cooperative society. Variables included in the model for the efficiency effects were seed, fertilizer, labour and agrochemical. The parameters of the stochastic frontier production function were estimated simultaneously with those of the model of inefficiency effects. Results indicated that farm size, fertilizer and labour were significant (p<0.01). The mean technical and allocative efficiencies were 63% and 62% respectively. Findings further revealed that none of the sampled rice farms reached the frontier threshold. However, the average economic efficiency of the rice farmers was 39%. This indicates that rice farmers were economically inefficicient. Also, household size, educational status, farming experience and cooperative membership were the socio-economic variables responsible for the variation in technical efficiency of the rice producers. It was therefore recommended that timely and adequate supply of fertilizer and labour should be made available to the farmers at an affordable price in order to enhance the production of rice in Niger State

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SMALL SCALE RAIN-FED LOWLAND RICE PRODUCTION IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF NIGER STATE, NIGERIA