Economic efficiency of commercial vegetable production system in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria: a translog stochastic frontier cost function approach

Abstract

"This study employed a translog stochastic frontier cost function to measure the level of economic efficiency and its determinants in commercial vegetable production Systems. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 150 vegetable farmers from whom input-output data and their prices were obtained using the cost-route approach. The results of the analysis showed that the mean farm level economic efficiency was about 61%. The study found level of education and household size to be negatively and significant at 10% and 1 % respectively while age, farm experience, extension visit and access to credit were significant and directly related to economic efficiency at 1.0% and 5% levels of probability respectively. No significant relationship was found between economic efficiency and membership of cooperative organization and farm size."