TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE PRODUCTION AMONG SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN BATTICALOA, SRI LANKA

Abstract

Maize is largely a subsistence food under promotion as food security and it is also the source of income for small-scale farmers in rural areas. Considering food insecurity and poverty, the study of technical efficiency directs small-scale farmers to compare the expected potential yield and the actual yield sustainably using productive resources. Especially small-scale farmers in Koralaipattu North Division tend to underutilize or over utilize some of the factors of production. Therefore, 100 maize farmers were randomly selected as respondents among 150 farmers for the study to estimate the technical efficiency of maize and its determinants in Koralaipattu North, DS division from December to March 2022. Cobb Douglas, Stochastic frontier production function was applied to identify the impact of each input on maize production and the findings revealed that log forms of the inputs such as land size, labour hours and fertilizer significantly affected the maize production in this study area. Further, the findings indicated that the mean value of technical efficiency was 78 percent. An inefficiency effect model indicated that the coefficient for farmers’ experience, education, and farm income and credit assistance were statistically significant and negative which reduced the technical inefficiency. The findings of the study suggest that the government should initiate programs to exchange farm experience among the community and promote farmers’ education which encourages the adoption of new farming techniques and management. Further, providing additional income and credit facilities improves the efficiency of maize farming and their income in the future.