Efficiency of sweet orange production among small scale farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study carried out an analysis of the technical efficiency of sweet orange production among small scale farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. A three-stage random sampling technique was used in collecting the data used for this study. The study shows that the number of stands and the size of sweet orange farms are the significant factors affecting sweet orange production in the area. About eighty-eight percent variations in the output of sweet orange production was found to be due to the technical inefficiency of the farmers. Technical efficiency of sweet orange production among the small scale farmers in the study area was found to be fairly high with a mean of 86.33%. The study recommended the need for the farmers to be assisted in setting up sweet orange plantation as a way of increasing the output in the study area.