Comparative analysis of farmers adopting R-Box technology and non-adopters on the efficiency of rice production in Badeggi Niger state Nigeria.

Abstract

The study examined the impact of the adoption of R-Box rice production technology on the technical efficiency of farmers in Baddegi, Niger State, Nigeria during the 2006 cropping season. A total of 96 farmers, comprising of 48 that utilized the technology and 48 that did not were selected for the study using purposive random sampling technique. Additive multiplicative dummy variable approach was used in the analysis of data. Double logarithmic functional form was chosen as the lead equation. Results showed that the intercept shift dummy or neutral technical efficiency parameter and slope shift dummies for seed and credit are statistically significant at 5 percent, 10 percent and 1 percent levels respectively. This indicates that the two groups of farmers are characterized by factor-biased or non-neutral production functions, that have different production functions. It is recommended that appropriate policies that would raise the purchasing power of farmers in the survey area in form of credit availability to enable them adopt the technology be designed.