COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY AND ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDED RICE-BASED TECHNOLOGIES BY AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (ADPs) IN THE PRODUCTION OF LOCAL (Oryza glaberrima steud) AND IMPROVED (Oryza sativa linn {faro44} VARIETIES OF SWAMP RICE BY FARMERS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

¹Adinya I. B. and ²Mahmood, H. U.

¹Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Cross River University of Technology, Obubra Campus

²Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Taraba State University, Jaligo

Email: dradinyaignatius@gmail.com

Abstract: This study compares and analyzes resource use efficiency and adoption of recommended rice-based technologies by Agricultural Development Programme (ADPs) in the production of local and improved varieties of swamp rice by farmers in Cross River State of Nigeria. Data were collected from 224 rice farmers from twelve Local Government Areas in Cross River State were interviewed using three-stage stratified random sampling procedure involving simple random sampling technique was used to selected respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, stochastic frontier function that incorporated inefficiency effects were estimated using the Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) and probit and logit analyses. The result showed that some of the farmers were illiterate 48.21% and 43.75% of local variety rice farmers and improved variety rice farmers. The result also showed that the sum of elasticity of 1.33 and 1.65 for local and improved varieties of swamp rice respectively indicates that local and improved varieties of swamp rice farmers in the study area were operating in the inefficient stage (SP is greater than 1; increasing return to scale region). The gamma (g) were 0.60 and 0.75 for local and improved varieties of swamp rice respectively and significant at the 1% level. It is an indication that 60 and 75 percent variation in output of local and improved varieties of swamp rice respectively are attributed to technical inefficiency. The sigma-square (d2) on the other hand were 0.45 and 0.51 for local and improved varieties of swamp rice respectively and significant at the 5% level. The Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT) for local variety of swamp rice (25.61) and improved variety of swamp rice (20.53) were technically inefficient. The  mean  efficiency values were  0.67 and 0.75 for local  and  improved varieties  of swamp rice respectively, the  analysis  showed  that both local  and  improved varieties  of swamp rice produced in the study area has not  reached frontier threshold, as such , within the  context of efficient production, rice production  can still  be increased by about 33 percent  and 25 percent  for local  and  improved varieties  of swamp rice respectively using  available  technology. The  result  of the  study  showed  that  improved  variety  of swamp rice farmers(75%) were more  efficient  than  local  variety of swamp  rice farmers(0.67).The result of the finding also shows that  coefficient of frequency of extension contact entered the model with a prior expected positive sign. The variable turned out to be a significant determinant of adoption decision in the study area. The positive sign associated with the variable in the model, implies that adoption decision of rice farmers in the study area, would depend significantly on the information they get through the extension agent and the frequency of such information. Frequency of extension contact to disseminate information encourages early adoption. The result of the finding shows that a net return of N145.667.00K with N6.27K made on every naira invested in local variety of swamp rice produced in the study area. Comparatively, improved swamp rice farmers realized a net return of N277,397.00K with N9.80K made on every naira invested in improved variety of swamp rice produced in the study area. Rice farming business is a profitable business, with attractive net return on investment. It was therefore recommended that the government should post more extension agents to the study area because agricultural extension visit / training of rice farmers would enable non-adopters of new technologies in rice production to adopt innovations. Rice farmers in the study area should use labour saving machines for rice production.

Keywords:           Agricultural Extension Service, Efficiency, Resource use, Oryza sativa linn {faro44}, Oryza glaberrima steud), Swamp Rice, Farmers.