ABSTRACT
This project is based on the technical
efficiency in food crops production in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo
State. Data were collected from fifty food crops production farmers to
ascertain the effectiveness and enhancement of technical efficiency in food
crops production. The result showed that family labour, hired labour and material
input were the prime factors responsible for the change in output of food crops
production. A range of technical efficiency was observed across the sampled
farms. The best farm has technical efficiency of 40%while the worse farm has a
technical efficiency of 10%. This was attributed to the improper usefulness of
available resources. At this juncture, the researcher recommended that
government should implement policies and programmes that are favourable to
farmers or enhanced technical efficiency of food crops production.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Food consumption accounts for a larger percentage of household expenditure in
Nigeria. It was estimated that about 50% of the total expenditure of house hold
in Nigeria in 1994 was on food consumption but this figure increased to about
72% in 1995.
An increased in population figure especially in the urban centres exert more
pressure on demand for food consumption by the populace. In other words, an
increase in population will eventually lead to an increased in demand for food
consumption.
In view of this assertion, farmers will need to improve more or exploit more of
their potentials in food production so that output could be maximized to meet
the ever growing demand for food by the increasing population in Nigeria. The
federal ministry of agriculture (200) estimated that the annual food supply
would have to increase at an average annual rate of 59 percent to meet food
demand and reduce food importation.
Studies conducted have shown that aggregate food production has been growing at
about 2.5% per annum in recent years in Nigeria, but the annual rate of
population has been on the high side up to the tune of 2.9%(Olayemi, 2002). The
implication is that Nigeria as a country has not been able to be independent
relation to food production despite the increasing resource being shifted into
food production annually.
It is anticipated that demand for food will continue to grow in developing
countries (e.g Nigeria). Because global demand for food per person is below the
expected and has lead to food shortage or food insufficient in these countries
(Fergie et al 2008).
Nigeria farmers have tried to increase food production to meet the ever growing
population in two ways:
1. The
area under cultivation is increased
2. Production
on existing farm land
These two ways or methods
are mutually exclusive and both have been employed to increased the food
production and reduce food shortages in Nigeria. Although it have been noted
that productivity on existing on existing farmland have been preferable in area
where land is scarce to unavailability of it. It avoids green house emission
associated with bringing new land into production and large scale of disruption
of existing ecosystems. But the method have failed to yield the maximum results
due to inabilities of the farmers to technically efficient.
In this study, efforts is being put at informing the public on the technical
efficiently (i.e combination agricultural sector) of the production in their
bid to increase food supply in response to population.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The militating factors to the growth of food production have been attributed
mainly to low yield of crop resources management. An upward movement in the
efficiency of farmers in food crops production could definitely lead to
improvement in the standard of living and drastic production in the poverty
level of farmers and food insecurity.
The problem therefore is why
has farmers technical efficiency not enough not enough factor in solving the
problem of food security in the country? It is therefore in line with this
question that this project investigate the technical efficiency in food crops
production in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State to find out the
factor that is negating the technical efficiency of farmer in food crop
production in the study area.
(Adeyemi 2001) observed in his past studies that decline in food crops production
can never be attributed to lack of finance on the part on government but to
knowledge gap that exist among the factors in the country.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objective of the study is to basically assess the farmer in Uhunmwode Local
Government Area of Edo State in the following areas:
1.To assess the effectiveness of the
efficiency used by farmer in food crops production in Uhunmwode Local
Government Area so as to maximize output to meet the ever growing for food.
2. To determine the extent to which
efficient food crops production can lead to an improvement in the standard of
living of the farmers.
3. To ascertain the level
of steady increased in food crops production such as beans, rice, yam, etc.
4. To generate information on
ways to achieve a steady but regular increment in food crops among the farmers.
5. To determine strategy to be employed
in reducing the poverty level of the farmers and also a reduction in food
insecurity in Uhunmwode Local Government Area.
6.
To identify some of the
challenge and problems faced by the farmers in food crops production in
Uhunmwonde Local Government Area
1.4 RESEACH QUESTIONS
The study tends to engage the farmers with the following questions. How
effective has your efficiency been in food crops production? Can an increase in
the efficiency used lead to an improvement in your standard of living? What is
your level of steady increament in food crops? If the level of increament in
food crops is irregular increament in food crops is irregular, how
can we achieve a steady but regular increament? What is the strategy to
employed in reducing the poverty level of farmers and food insecurity? What is
the problem and/or challenge faced in food crops production?
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study is expected to cover Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State,
Nigeria. It cover some randomly selected farmer in the study area. These
farmers are fifty in the sample size.
1.6 SIGNICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will have beneficially effect on the Government, farmers and the
people (individual) of Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State in
particular and Nigeria at large. Government will be able to implement policies
and programmes that will alleviate the problems of food crops farmers which
tend to increase the efficiency of these farmers, with that food production
will increase making food to be surplus and affordable by the people and this
will bring about increase in the standard of living of food crop farmers.
Government will also be able to generate revenue and earn foreign
exchange through export of the excess.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Technical efficiency is define as the ration of product output to the factor
input.
Food crop production is growing, raising, cultivation, picking, harvesting,
collection of crop that are edible to man.
Therefore technical efficiency in food crops production is the radio of product
output to the factor input in the growing, raising, cultivating, picking,
harvesting, and collection of crop that are edible to man.