Technical Efficiency of Sorghum Production in Garu District of the Upper East Region, Ghana

Abstract

This study analyzed the technical efficiency and identified its determinants in sorghum production. Two-stage sampling technique was used to collect cross-sectional data from 100 smallholder sorghum farmers in Garu district in the upper east region of Ghana using a semi structured questionnaire. The stochastic frontier analysis was used to estimate the level and determinants of technical efficiency while Kendall's coefficient of concordance approach was used to identify and rank the constraints restraining sorghum production. The study revealed that only farm size and fertilizer were found to have a significant influence on the output. Technical efficiency varied widely among sorghum farmers, ranging from 16.14% to 99.11% with a mean technical efficiency of 88.92%. This means that farmers could improve the productivity of sorghum by 11.08% without requiring extra inputs. The main determinants of technical efficiency were age, level of education, association membership, household size, experience, crop variety, and access to extension, access to credit, access to market and distance to market. Major constraints limiting sorghum production were natural disasters, the incidence of pest and diseases, lack of access to credit and high production cost. The study recommends that fertilizer supply at subsidized prices to farmers in the study area should be improved. Also, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture through extension agents should educate farmers on the impact of these farm and farmer specific characteristics on technical efficiency.