ABSTRACT
This study examined productivity among maize farmers in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria during 2014 production season. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed which follows random election of 179 maize farmers for the study. Primary data was used, the information collected is on a single visit with the aid of structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, multiple regression estimates, net farm income and profit function model. The results of the socio-economic analysis shows that maize farmers fell within the mean age of 42 years, mean household size was 15 persons, while the mean farming experience found was 24 years with an average of 4 years access to extension services. Results from the DEA shows that mean scale efficiency observed was 55%, Out of the maize farms (DMU‟s) studied; 92.18% were scale inefficient as they operates under IRS and DRS assumptions and therefore, operated at stage I and stage III of the production process, The mean technical efficiency scores from DEA using CRSTE and VRSTE specifications were 62% and 47% respectably, 68.16% of the maize farms were not technically efficient in the use of production inputs due to inability to reach a frontier threshold of 100%. In the same vein; age, education, extension contact and farming experience are positive and statistically significant at different probability levels and were key determinants responsible for the variation in technical efficiency among maize producers in the study area. Finding also revealed that, the net farm income was ₦65,979.75 and return per naira invested is ₦1.99, indicating that for every ₦1 invested a profit of ₦0.99 kobo was made. Thus, it could be concluded that maize production in the study area was economically viable and there exist a positive and significant relationship between inputs used and maize output level. Finally, maize farmers attested to the fact that; high cost of inputs, poor market price, and lack of capital are most severe constrains militating the chances of increasing maize production to achieve sustainable food production. It is therefore recommended that; farmers most shift to a production stage were a proportionate increase in inputs will lead to a proportionate increase in output, efficiency and reduce cost of input utilization of maize productivity, and should be a pivotal component in government programs geared toward empowerment especially the teaming unemployed youths in the country. Immediate effort should be made by maize farmers to form or join cooperative societies, so as to be able to benefit from economy of bulk purchase of input supply, farm advisory services, increased access to micro-credit, and access to modern farming techniques, there is the need for the government at federal, state, local levels and stakeholders to assist farmers beyond input supply, by creating effective marketing system and enabling environment among farming community were by actors will find a place for investment thereby increase productivity level and livelihood standard of farmers.
