Land Tenure Systems and Farmers Efficiency and Profitability Analysis: a Case from Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This  research study  investigate Arable Food production in Plateau State, which  follows  four  pattern of the land  tenure  system  namely;  the Traditional inheritance Tenure System, the gift tenure system,  the Purchase Tenure system and Hired Land tenure system. The purpose of this study was to empirically establish whether land tenure as an institution contributes to the observed Arable crop productivity differentials among Plateau State farmers. The study used a random sampling technique to obtain a sample of sixty farmers each from the three Agro-ecological zones of the State. Data were collected from the 2012/2013 production year using questionnaires administered to farmers at villages in QuaanPan, Langtang South, Mangu, Bokkos, Jos-East, and Jos-South local government areas.  Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Stochastic Production Frontier Analysis. The result also shows that the profitability index for Inherited land farmers was 1.35, for gift farmers was 2.14, for Purchased farmers was 3.76 and Hired farmers was 2.43.  The  mean technical efficiency of Inherited land farmers  was 61%, for gift land farmers was 59%,  for Purchased land farmers  was 84%  and for Hired land farmers was 77%.  The results confirmed the existence of differentials in crop yields of farmer’s base on tenure holdings with tenure security found to influence land improvements. Therefore, a need for the review of the land tenure act of 1978 in order to clearly and sufficiently redefine tenure rights on farm Lands so, as to promote farmers productivity.

KEYWORDS:  Productivity, Land Tenure, Efficiency, Profitability Indexes, Farm Income.