Pages: (1-12 )
Abstract
This study assessed the efficiency differential in industrial sugarcane production in Jigawa state, among farming households benefitting from government intervention through the Millennium Village Commission Programme (MVCP) and those who are not. Two-stage stratified random sampling procedure was used to collect primary data from the households. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze household-level data. Stochastic frontier production function model (SFPFM) was used to determine and compare the technical efficiency in sugarcane production among the MVCP farmers and non MVCP farmers. The result of the analyis showed that the coefficients for farm-size, hired labour, quantity of sugarcane stem-cuttings planted, quantity of fertilizer, volume of pesticide and irrigation water used for sugarcane production were all significant factors for sugarcane production by the MVCP farmers while for non MVCP farmers, the coefficients for farm- size, hired labour, quantity of sugarcane stem-cuttings planted and quantity of fertilizer used were the significant factors for the sugarcane production. The result further indicated that non MVCP farmers were more technically efficient than MVCP farmers (mean technical efficiency of 0.70 and 0.60 respectively). Sources of inefficiecy were traced to membership of association, ecological zones and varietal differences (for the MVCP farmers) and farming experience, contact with the extension service, levels of education, access to credit, membership of organisation, participation in programme and cropping density (for the non MVCP farmers). Cost and benefit anlysis showed that more benefits accrued to the farmers supported by the MVCP. The study recommends increase in extension education in the study area. Furthermore, government should impose strict adherence to set out objectives as regards programme intervention to enhance participation and increase production efficiency.
Keywords: Government intervention; Sugarcane; Technical efficiency; Cost- benefit anlysis.,