TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC LEAFY VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

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The study was carried out to examine the technical efficiency of organic and inorganic leafy vegetable production in Ogun State, Nigeria. This study employed the use of multistage sampling technique in selecting one Local Government from each of the four ADPs zones in Ogun state using simple random sampling. A total of one hundred and seven (107) respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique and interviewed with the aid of well-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function for the technical efficiency of the farmer. The study reveals that majority of the farmers practicing organic leafy vegetable and inorganic leafy vegetable farming are predominantly males and are married. The mean technical efficiency of the farmers was 0.679. This indicates a fair level of technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production in the study area. More importantly, the study showed that there is no difference between the two categories of farms in terms of technical inefficiencies. Other results from the estimated inefficiency model show that the age, educational level, household size, gender and age square are significant determinants of technical inefficiency. Gender, household size, extension agents’ visit and age squared have negative coefficients with consequent implication of decrease in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. Age, level of education, farming experience, marital status and socio economic group have positive coefficients implying an increase in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. The study recommends that the government should introduce the farmers to formal education through adult literacy education and establishment of demonstration farms should be strengthened among the farmers.