Influence of Agro-ecologies and Land use Intensity on Efficiency of Food Crop Farmers in South Western Nigeria.

Abstract

Rapid population growth underscores the importance of intensification and efficiency as necessary precursors
for sustainable growth in food production. The implication of land use intensity and agro-ecological diversities
on food production has not been adequately explored in Nigeria. This study therefore investigated the effect of
land-use intensity (very high, high, medium and low) and agro-ecology (forest, derived savannah and
Southern Guinea savannah) on the efficiency of food crop production in South Western Nigeria (SWN). The
study utilized data from a survey of 341 farmers selected from Ondo and Oyo States by multi-stage sampling
technique while data were collected on production systems, cropping cycle, crop combinations, input and
output in food crop production using questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and
regression at p=0.05.Technical, Allocative and Economic efficiencies of the farmers averaged 76.5%, 62.8%
and 46.3% respectively. There was no significant difference in the estimated technical and economic
efficiency scores of farmers across the agro-ecologies whereas farmers in southern guinea savannah had
significantly higher allocative efficiency than those in other agroecologies. The economic efficiency of
farmers who cultivated their farmland under high (47.4%) and very high (47.4%) land use intensity were
significantly higher than the economic efficiency of farmers that cultivated their arable land under low (41.5%)
and medium (42.1%) land use intensity respectively. Generally, farmers in the derived and southern guineas
savannah agro-ecologies that engaged in arable land under very high intensity have higher potential for
increased productivity in food crop production through greater allocative and economic efficiency.