%0 Journal Article
%T Analysis of Production Efficiency of Food Crop Farmers of Bank of Agriculture Loan Scheme in Ogun State Nigeria
%A O.I. Ambali
%A D.A. Adegbite
%A I.A. Ayinde
%A A.O. Idowu
%J Asian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
%D 2012
%I Maxwell Science Publication
%X The study analyzed the production efficiency of food crop farmers of Bank of Agriculture loan scheme in Ogun State Nigeria. A total of 240 beneficiaries of the bank were sampled in a multistage sampling procedure. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, test of mean difference and stochastic frontier analysis. The findings revealed that loan beneficiary food crop farmers were fairly educated and in their active ages. The result of test of difference of means revealed that farmers divert some of the loan meant for farming to other uses. The stochastic production function revealed that farm output increases with farm size, family labor, planting material and herbicide but decreases with hired labor and fertilizer. The means technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and economic efficiency were 91, 74 and 67%, respectively implying there is room for improvement in technical efficiency by 9%, allocative efficiency by 26% and economic efficiency by 33% with the present technology. The study suggests that the loan beneficiary food crop farmers should reduce the use of hired labor and fertilizer. Also, there is need for farm expansion to ensure efficient utilization of resources. Finally, formal education and adult literacy education should be strengthened among farmers as education and extension contact increase the technical efficiency of food crop farmers.
%K Efficiency
%K food crop
%K loan beneficiary
%K Nigeria
%K stochastic frontier
%U http://www.maxwellsci.com/jp/abstract.php?jid=AJAS&no=257&abs=04