MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION TECHNIQUE OF GRASSCUTTER (Thryonomys swinderianus) PRODUCTION IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA
This study estimated quantitatively the technical efficiency and its determinants in grasscutter production in Osun State, Nigeria using a stochastic production frontier function approach. A total of seventy-two grasscutter farmers across the three agricultural zones were randomly selected. Using a...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Online |
| Lenguaje: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
The Faculty of Agriculture Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
2020
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ija.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ija/article/view/205 |
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| Sumario: | This study estimated quantitatively the technical efficiency and its determinants in grasscutter production in Osun State, Nigeria using a stochastic production frontier function approach. A total of seventy-two grasscutter farmers across the three agricultural zones were randomly selected. Using a well-structured questionnaire, data were collected on the socio-economic characteristics and other quantitative variables of interest. The Maximum Likelihood Cobb-Douglas estimation procedure was used. Careful analysis revealed that male respondents dominated grasscutter production in the study area with an average grasscutter farming experience of 11 years. The mean age of the respondents was 43 years while majority (97%) of the respondents had formal education. The result of the stochastic frontier production function showed that labour, capital, feed concentrates, and farm size were major factors determining total output of the enterprise in the study area. The study also showed that membership of cooperative, access to credit, level of education and extension contact; significantly determine efficiency level in the study area. The maximum technical efficiency attained by the farmers was 93% while the minimum technical efficiency was 45%. The mean technical efficiency (MTE) was 86%. The sum of output elasticities which denotes returns to scale was 1.04 signifying increasing returns to scale. In essence, the enterprise did not attain maximum production frontier. It is recommended that efficiency could be increased through better use of available resources, access to credit facilities and assisting and encouraging the farmers in joining cooperative societies so as to have access to loans. Also, educational programmes should be organized to sensitize farmers more on how to improve on their efficiency level. |
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