ABSTRACT

This study was designed to measure the level of resource use efficiency (technical), and estimate of net-returns involved in catfish production in Abia State. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents of catfish farmers in one out of the three agricultural zones of Abia state. Data were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier model. The Cobb-Douglas functional form of the stochastic frontier production model was estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation technique to obtain technical efficiencies of the farmers. The results indicated that 72.5% that represent majority of the farmers were males and the remaining 27.5% were females with an average age of 54.65 years. The result also showed that 80% of the farmers have large household size, which ranges from 5-7. The mean technical efficiency of the farmers is 0.9061. Technical efficiency was influenced by fingerlings, feeding and depreciation while the major determinants of technical efficiency were age, level of education, household size and pond size. The sum of the regression coefficients of the production variables is 1 .55 1, which indicated an increasing return to scale, and an estimated net return of # 14223.66 was realized by an average fanner during a production period. Since education has a significant and positive relationship with increase in technical efficiency, it is recommended in this research work that national institutes of fisheries should promote programmes that educate and inform farmers about the biological features, characteristics and productivity of catfish. Also work-school programme can be promoted and encouraged by the government, media and non-governmental organizations (FOA), to enable farmers to combine the farming work with other educational related activities.