Abstract

The study assessed the technical efficiency of maize production among maize farmers in Wamakko local government area of Sokoto state, using stochastic frontier approach. A Two-stage sampling technique was used in selecting eighty (80) maize farmers. The cobb-Douglas functional form of the stochastic frontier model was used to determine the technical efficiency of the farmers and the estimate of elasticity of output to factor input used in maize production. The result from the maximum likelihood estimation revealed that farm size (0.5968) and seed (0.3285) were significant at 1%. The result also revealed that farm experience is the inefficiency model that have direct relationship with the production efficiency and its significant at 10% probability level. Maize output have the highest elasticity of production to farm size (0.5968), followed by seed (0.3285) and Agro-chemicals (0.0382). T The study affirmed the need for government to assist farmers by making available affordable loans and Agro-chemicals at subsidized rate, furthermore the government should strengthen extension service towards educating the farmers on the importance to adopt improved and advance technologies in maize production.

Key words: Technical-efficiency, Maize, Production, Wammako, Sokoto State