ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF RESOURCE USE IN DROUGHT COPING STRATEGIES FOR CROP PRODUCTION IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The paper analysed economic efficiency of resource use in three drought coping strategies used by food crop farmers in Borno State of Nigeria. Production function for each of the drought coping strategies were estimated and the economic efficiency of resource use were compared. The relative input adjustments for optimal resource allocation were also determined. Data for the study were generated from 240 food crop farmers in Borno State, comprising 80 farmers each from mixed cropping, dry planting and early planting coping strategies. The semi-log production function was used in estimating the economic efficiency of resources in mixed cropping and also in early planting coping strategies, while the double-log production function was used for dry planting coping strategy. The findings of the study revealed that for the 2007 cropping season, all the inputs were either under or over utilized in all the three coping strategies. The percentage adjustments required for land, manure and seed in dry planting coping strategies were 4247.8%, 1251.3% and 599.3%, respectively. In early planting coping strategy, the land and manure inputs needed to be increased by 93.5% and 99.5%. Also the land input needed to be adjusted by 95% to obtained optimality in its use in mixed cropping coping strategy. The study recommended among others good prices for farmers= outputs to help raise the marginal value products (MVPs) of the food crops.