Technical Efficiency Analysis of Improved Cassava Farmers in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

A Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function was employed to measure the level of technical efficiency and its determinants in improved cassava production. The study was carried out in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 120 contact farmers sampled through a multistage random sampling procedure. Result showed that the mean technical efficiency of the respondents was 92%, implying that efficiency level could be increased by 8% through better use of available resources. Hence, the farmers did not achieve maximum technical efficiency. Analysis indicated that the coefficients of fertilizer and tractor use were positive and significantly related to cassava output at 5% level. The farmer s level of technical efficiency was significantly affected by level of education and farm size. While, the educational level had positive effect, farm size had negative effect on technical efficiency level of the farmer.