Land Use Intensity and Efficiency of Food Crops Production in Osun State of Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between land use intensity and food crops production efficiency in Osun State of Nigeria.  Primary data obtained from 90 representative samples of food crop farmers drawn from Ede North Local Government Area in the Southwestern Nigeria were used for the study. Data obtained were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics, indices of land use intensity and stochastic frontier production function. Results showed that majority of the food crop farmers were in their active age, educated and highly experienced in food crop crops production.  Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) shows that farm size had the highest production coefficient and was statistically significant at 5 percent level of significance. Results of the inefficiency analysis showed that while crop diversification, labour use intensity and age of the food crop farmers contributed positively and significantly to inefficiency, land use intensity contributed negatively to inefficiency of food crops production. Major land management methods used by the farmers were mulching, crop rotation and fertilizer use.

Keywords: Food crops, land use intensity, Ruthenberg index, efficiency, Osun state