Technical Efficiency in Maize Production among Small-Scale Farmers in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Maize is largely a subsistence food under promotion for ensuring food security and
it is also the source of income for small-scale farmers in rural areas. The study of
technical efficiency directs small-scale farmers, especially small-scale farmers in
Koralaipattu North Division who tend to underutilise or over utilise some of the
factors of production, to compare the expected potential yield with the actual yield.
Therefore, 100 maize farmers were randomly selected as respondents from 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 fertiliser significantly affected the
maize production in this study area. Further, the findings indicated that the mean
value of technical efficiency was 78%. The inefficiency effect model indicated that
the coefficient for farmers’ experience, education, farm income and credit assistance
were statistically significant and negative which reduced the technical inefficiency.
The findings of the study suggest that government should initiate programs to
exchange the 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