GENDER AND COST EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE PRODUCTION IN OYO STATE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The issues of gender in smallholder farmers in Nigeria have been widely debated in terms of marginalization in main input leaving out the efficient use of these resources. In this paper, an empirical assessment of smallholder cost efficiency and its determinants using stochastic cost frontier function was conducted. In addition, regression and paired sample t-test were used to examine the determinants of efficiency. The results indicates that labour is an important factor of production for both male and female farmers and that female are more cost inefficient than their male counterparts The study concluded that there should be a review of the agricultural policy that will address the existing gender bias in assessing agricultural inputs.