Technical Efficiency of Maize in District Lakki Marwat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

This study aimed at estimating and examining technical efficiency of maize farms in Southern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. It utilized the primary data collected from 320 maize farms randomly selected through multistage sampling. Parametric technique of stochastic frontier production function was estimated to model output of maize growers. Results of stochastic frontier model revealed that tractor hours, labor and FYM positively and significantly affected yield of maize. Average technical efficiency was predicted to be 0.68 ranging from 0.31 to 0.91; implies that an average maize farm can increase yield by 33 percent with existing technology. Technical inefficiency effect model identified that education and farming experience has negative and significant effect on farmers' inefficiency. It is recommended that maize farmers need to be provided with formal as well as informal education, agricultural trainings and credit on easy terms for purchase of costly inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]