TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF SORGHUM PRODUCTION IN HONG LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

This paper investigates the technical efficiency of sorghum production and its determinants, using the stochastic frontier production function which incorporates a model of inefficiency effects. Farm level data were collected from a sample of 100 sorghum farmers in Hong local government area of Adamawa state using structured questionnaires. The empirical result shows that land, seed, and fertilizer were the major factors that influence changes in sorghum output. Farm specific variables such as education, extension contact and household size were found to have significant effects on the technical inefficiency among the sorghum producers. The technical efficiency of farmers varied from 0.1562 to 0.9214 with a mean technical efficiency of 0.7262. The implication of the study is that efficiency in sorghum production among the farmers could be increased by 28% through better use of land, seed and fertilizer in the short term given the prevailing state of technology. This could be achieved through policy interventions by the government in terms of better access to land, improved seed and fertilizer .The inefficiency effect also shows that improved farmer's educational levels through better education and literacy campaigns would help tremendously to increase efficiency.