Abstract
This study evaluated the efficiency and the technological gap ratios (TGRs) of the agroforestry production in the rural areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria and discussed the implication for environmental resource management. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. A total number of 120 respondents comprising of 62 (51.67%) male agroforestry farmers and 58 (48.33%) female agroforestry farmers were selected. The primary data were collected based on a well-structured and a well-designed questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the following tools: descriptive statistics, the stochastic production efficiency frontier model, the stochastic meta-efficiency frontier model, and the principal component model. Farm size, labor input, chemical input, fertilizer input, and agroforestry tree density positively contribute to the output of male and female agroforestry farmers as well as pooled data respectively. The average agroforestry farmers achieve 83.1% (male), 64.7% (female) and 72.8% (pooled) of their frontier output given their present technologies. In other words, agroforestry farms lose 16.9%, 35.3% and 27.2% of their maximum potentials output to inefficiencies. The mean technical efficiency relative to the meta-frontier was estimated to be 74%, 47% and 59% for the male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data respectively. Based on the estimated technological gap ratios (TGRs) of 90%, 73% and 82% for the male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data respectively, the average male and female agroforestry farmers and the pooled data could be more technically efficient by increasing their output and closing the gaps of 10%, 27% and 18% respectively. The study recommended that farmers should be educated about the benefits of the agroforestry production technologies.
Keywords: economics, technology gap ratios, agroforestry production, stochastic meta – efficiency frontier model, gender, rural areas, resource management, Nigeria