Inoni O. E.
Abstract
The paper examined the efficiency of resource utilisation in pond fish production in Delta State, Nigeria, using a production function approach. Data for the study were obtained from a cross section of 72 farms using a multi-stage sampling procedure. The farms had a total water surface area of 101.15 hectares. Regression results indicated that pond size, feeds, fingerlings, and labour were significant (p < 0.05) determinants of output in pond fish production. The index of resource-use efficiency revealed that fish farmers were not only inefficient in the allocation of productive resources, but grossly over-utilised feeds, fingerlings, fixed costs, and labour with an allocative efficiency index of 0.0025, 0.00064, -0.00017, and 0.00025 respectively. Pond size was however, under-utilised with an allocative efficiency index of 3.22. Given the under-utilisation of pond size, strategies aimed at increasing farm size will thus significantly improve efficiency of utilisation of other resources. This, in addition to enhanced access to current technical and price information by farmers, will raise output and net returns in small-scale fish farming enterprises.
Key words:
resource allocation, production function analysis, allocative efficiency index, small-scale fish farming, Delta state, Nigeria