Production Efficiency of Improved and Non-Improved Cassava Varieties in South-South, Nigeria

Abstract

Production efficiency of improved and non-improved cassava varieties in South-South, Nigeria was carried out with the use of multi-stage random sampling method to select 240 respondents from both the improved and non-improved cassava varieties farmers from Akwa Ibom, Edo and Rivers States in South-South, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics was used in analysing the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; costs and return structure was assessed using the gross margin analysis of farm budgetary technique. The input-output relationships and resource use efficiency were estimated with the use of Cobb-Douglas production function and the ratio of marginal value product to marginal factor cost of cassava production, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R2) indicated that 72% and 56% variabilities in cassava output of both the improved and non-improved varieties’ farmers, respectively, were explained by the explanatory variables. The analysis also revealed that labour was under-utilised while fertilizer and land were over-utilised by improved cassava varieties farmers. However, non-improved varieties farmers under- utilised cassava stem cuttings and land but over-utilised fertilizer and labour. Cassava stem cuttings was efficiently allocated by the improved varieties farmers. The study, therefore, recommends that the improved cassava varieties farmers should increase their farm sizes, reduce the quantity of fertilizer and increase labour, while the non-improved varieties farmers should increase the cassava stem cuttings, reduce the farm size and the amount of fertilizer used in order to increase their output and production efficiency. The extension service providers should train cassava farmers on how to allocate the production resources to achieve more efficiency