Impact of Policy Changes on Technical Efficiency on Farmers: Empirical Evidence From Nigerian Small Scale Food Crop Farmers

ABSTRACT

T he s t u dy qu a nt it a t iv el y d et er min e t h e i mp a ct of p ol ic y cha n g es o n t ech n ica l eff ic i ency of s ma ll s ca l e fo o d cr op far mer s in O n do S t a t e, N ige r ia , us ing t h e s t ocha s t ic fr ont i er met h od o lo g y. G iv e n t h e s p eci fica t io ns of t h e C ob b -D ou gl a s S t ocha s t ic fr ont i er mod els , t h e r es u lt s s h o w t ha t t h e ela s t icit y of mea n va lu e of fa r m ou t p u t is a n incr ea s in g fu n ct io n of la n d, la b ou r a nd i mp l ement s . T he mea n va lu e of far m ou t p u t is a ls o es t i ma t ed t o b e a n i ncr ea s in g fu nct i o n of a gr oc h emica ls a n d s eeds . T he r es u lt s in d ica t e t ha t a n i n cr ea s ing r et u r ns -t o-s ca le ex is t s a mo n g t h e far mer s . T he a na lys is s ho ws a wi d e va r iat io n i n t h e es t i ma t ed t ech n ica l effi ci enc i es , ra ngi n g b et w een 0 . 2 2 a nd 0 . 8 9 . T he r es u lt s of s i mu la t io n o n p ol ic y va r ia b les s h o w t ha t t he l ev el of t ech n ica l eff ici enc y w ou l d s i g nif ica nt l y in cr ea s e w it h r is i n g l ev el o f edu ca t io n, far mi n g ex p er i enc e a nd a mou n t of cr edit u s ed a n d d ec li n e w it h t h e a g e o f t he fa r mer s .