RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY AMONG FADAMA CROP FARMERS IN IBADAN/IBARAPA AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF OYO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the resource use efficiency among Fadama crop farmers in Ibadan Ibarapa agricultural zone of Oyo state, Nigeria. Data were collected from 120 respondents who were randomly selected and interviewed using both interview schedule and questionnaire. The data collected were presented using percentage and means. The findings o revealed that there was no significant difference in the productivity between Fadama and non fadama (soko) farmers, while there was a significant difference between the productivity of Fadama and non fadama (watermelon) farmers as well as Fadama and non fadama maize farmers.The gross margin analysis of Fadama and non Fadama crop farmers revealed that Fadama soko farmers and Fadama maize farmers were more profitable than the non Fadama farmers in the area. For watermelon, the non fadama farmers were more profitable because they had higher output. The findings also revealed that labour, fertilizer, insecticides and seed influenced the technical efficiency of soko farmers. Herbicides and insecticides influenced the technical efficiency of watermelon farmers, while labour, insecticide and seed influenced the technical efficiency of maize farmers. The positive coefficient for age variable implies that the older farmers were more technically inefficient than the younger ones. Also negative coefficient for education implies that the farmers level of technical inefficiency declined with more education. With regards to farmer specific factors, especially education, there is the need for policy to promote formal education as a means of enhancing efficiency in production over the long-term period. This is because it would enable farmers make better technical decision and also help in allocating their production inputs effectively. In the short-term, informal extension education could be effective, especially when targeted at farmers who have had limited formal educational opportunities.The coefficient of farming experience was estimated to be negative as expected and statistically significant at the 5-percent level. The implication is that farmers with more years of farming experience tend to be more efficient in crop production. It is possible that such farmers gained more years of farming experience through “learning by doing,” and thereby becoming more efficient.The study also found that farmers under Fadama harvested more per unit of land of output of crop than non fadama farmers for soko and maize and this confirms the hypothesis that programme intervention has the capacity to succor farm production problems while accruing more income to farmers.