Technical Efficiency of Fadama II Grain Farmers in Taraba State, Nigeria

The study focused on the productive capacity, technical efficiency of Fadama II grain farmers in Taraba State, Nigeria for the 2008/2009 farming season. Data for the study were obtained from primary source with the aid of interview schedule and analysed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier model. Findings revealed that the farmers are within the active farming age (37 years), had average farm size of 5.21 ha, annual income of N242,000.00, and 11 years of formal education. Farm size (0.01) and fertilizer (0.05) increased grain output by 44.75 and 17.45% respectively. On the other hand, herbicide (0.05) and labour (0.05) significantly decreased grain output by 67.17 and 98.90% respectively. The inefficiency model showed that while age (-0.05) and sex (-0.01) significantly decreased technical inefficiency by 22.17 and 31.57% respectively, education (0.01) and local crop variety (0.01) increased technical inefficiency by 14.05 and 41.85% respectively. Although, the sigma squared (0.73) indicated the correctness of the specified assumptions of the distributions of the composite error term and gamma was high (0.99) and significant, the mean technical efficiency (0.34) was low. Fadama II achieved the goals of input accessibility and increase in income among farmers. It was recommended that farm size and fertiliser should be increased for farmers; extension should focus attention on herbicide and labour efficient utilisation; and that Fadama II should involve farmers within the age bracket of 37 years in grain production.   Key words: Fadama II, small-scale, grain farmers, stochastic frontier, technical efficiency.