ISSN 2329-9797
International Journal of Agricultural Economics and Extension ISSN: 2329-9797 Vol. 5 (4), pp. 284-294, April, 2017. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Resource use efficiency of fadama III small-scale rice farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria
1OK Ishiaku,2U Haruna, 2HA Danwanka and 3HR Suleiman
1National Agricultural Seed Council 6th Floor BOA Plaza Central District Abuja, 2Department of Agricultural Economics Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Nigeria 3Department of Agric and Natural Resources, Nasarawa State Local Government Commission Lafia, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 10 April, 2017
Abstract
This study examined the utilization of farm resources among fadama III small scale rice farmers in Nasarawa state. Data were collected from a random sample of 1200 farmers (600 participating and 600 non participating farmers) from seven local government areas of Nasarawa state. These were analyzed using regression analysis, farm budget, t-test and efficiency measures. The result revealed that the coefficient of labour, fertilizer, seed were statistically significant at (P<0.01) and farm size (P<0.05) and herbicide (P<0.1) for participants, while the non participants fertilizer was found to be (P<0.01), labour, seed and herbicide (P<0.05) and farm size (P<0.1). The overall production elasticity of the inputs used was 1.045 and 1.356 for participants and non participants. Participants used all the resources more efficiently than the non participants with a ratio of 6.40 as against 9.04 for labour, 6.71 as against 7.60 for fertilizer, 3.74 as against 7.11 for seed, 7.00 as against 10.92 for herbicide and 3.25 as against 5.27 for farm size. The result for MVP adjustment reveal 84.38% adjustment is required for optimum utilization in labour for participants as against 88.94% for non participants. 85.10% adjustment is required for optimum utilization in fertilizer for participants as against 88.85% for non participants. 73.22% adjustment is required for optimum utilization in seed for participants as against 85.93% for non participants. 83.30% adjustment is required for optimum utilization in herbicide as against 90.84% for non participants. 67.23% adjustment is needed for optimum utilization in farm size as against 81.03% for non participants. Production resources in the study area were found not to be efficiently utilized for both groups, hence, not to optimum economic advantage. It therefore goes that urgent attention is needed through provision of agricultural inputs to bridge the gap for optimum use of the resources in the study area and technical efficiency in rice production in Nasarawa state could be increase through better use of farm inputs; as such there should be provision of such enabling policies (such as making available all agricultural inputs required at the right time and affordable prices). There is also need for fadama III participants to have access to credit, as financial assistance from fadama project cannot meet their demand for inputs.
Keywords: Optimum economic advantage, Percentage MVP Adjustment, Production elasticity Resources use.