Abstract:
The meta-frontier model technique is employed to compare the technical
efficiency levels of improved and local maize seed variety farms in Ghana using
a cross-sectional data from 214 farmers. The study shows that inefficiencies in
maize production relate to exogenous variables considered even though some of
the variables are not statistically significant. All input variables considered contribute positively to maize output in both improved and local seed varieties as well as
in the pooled data. Maize farms generally exhibit increasing returns to scale (IRS) in
the study area. The mean technical efficiency relative to the meta-frontier is
estimated to be 72%, 44% and 50% for the improved, local maize seed variety
farms and the pooled data respectively. Based on the estimated TGR of 90% and
72% for the improved and local seed variety maize farms, respectively, the study concludes that maize farmers who cultivated improved maize seed varieties are
more technically efficient compared to their counterparts who do otherwise. It is
recommended that stakeholder efforts should focus on labour source, education,
extension contacts, ready market availability and credit that contribute positively to
farmers’ efficiency to further increase maize output in Ghana. Furthermore, farmers
should be encouraged and educated more on the benefits of newly developed
varieties of maize so that they will be convinced enough to adopt in order to
increase their output in the near future.
