Analysis of Resource Use Efficiency in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Production in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was on resource use efficiency among tomato farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. The data were collected from 240 tomato farmers through purposive sampling in 2014. Questionnaire design was the instrument used for data collection. Data collected were analysed through the use of simple descriptive statistics, OLS regression analysis and efficiency ratio. The result of the study showed that majority of tomato farmers in the State were married males with an average family size of 7 members. Farmers’ educational status, farming experience, contact with extension workers, and farm size were positively related and significant at 1% in influencing the output of tomato produced in the State. Resources such as pesticide, labour, years spent in school, quantity of seed and farm size were positively and significantly related to tomato output in Kogi State. Quantity of pesticide, seed and fertilizer were over utilized while labour and farm size were underutilized. It is recommended that government should implement policies that will facilitate the efficient utilization of agricultural resources among tomato farmers in Kogi State.