Measuring   Farm Technical Efficiency using Stochastic Frontier Production Function Model Approach

Abstract Agricultural productivity in Africa is the lowest in the world with many households not able to feed themselves. In Africa women make up 70–80% of the labour forces in the agricultural sector and play a core role in agriculture but underperform in terms of productivity largely because they lack access to physical and human resources. Well-being, a health resource is an important asset in production because people can work when they are healthy. The study is aimed to analyze farm technical efficiency of women farmers in Niger Delta, Nigeria. 216 female farmers were randomly selected from 18 communities of the three states in Niger Delta Nigeria. Stochastic production frontier function model was the analytical tools used. The result showed that farm size and labour positively influenced technical efficiency and was significant at 1% with a mean value of 68.8%. Farm efficiency level in Delta and Akwa Ibom States are not significantly different. However, technical efficiency level in both Delta and Akwa Ibom States are significantly different from Rivers State. Inefficiency variables of age and number of years spent schooling were significant at 5% and 10% level respectively. The study recommends that women should increase the use of farm plots and labour resource for higher productivity.