The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE)
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of soil erosion on technical efficiency of cassava farming in Enugu State, Nigeria with a view to identifying the effects of erosion on cassava production. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Primary data were collected on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as age, gender, educational level, marital status, farm size, as well as on quantities and prices of inputs and outputs using a pre-tested questionnaire. Technical efficiency (TE) estimates showed that most farmers operated below the production frontier, with a significant difference (p< 0.05) between the mean TE of eroded farms (56 ± 0.19) percent and non-eroded (77 ± 0.17) farms. Farm size, labour, cassava stem cuttings, and fertilizer significantly (p<0.05) increased the level of TE in non-eroded farms, while only fertilizer significantly affected the TE in eroded farms. Significant (p<0.05) inefficiency factors on non-eroded farms were education, age, household size, and extension contact, while education and age were significant (p<0.05) in eroded farms. It was concluded that farmers in eroded farms were less technically efficient in their use of resources than farmers in non-eroded farms in Enugu State. Keywords: Enugu state, Erosion, maximum likelihood, stochastic frontier, technical efficienc
