Economic performance of smallholder soya bean production in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract Soya bean occupies a crucial space in solving the problem of poverty and food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), given the status of the crop as a multipurpose crop. Despite the enormous importance of this crop, the production is still very low in SSA, particularly in Nigeria. This study, therefore, examines the performance of soya bean production using technical efficiency as a yardstick for measuring performance. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire and scheduled interview from 100 soya bean farmers selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, profitability analysis, and stochastic frontier analysis. The results reveal that the average age was about 45 years with close to 5 years of farming experience. The average household size in the study area was 5 with a mean farm size of 1.8 hectares. The net farm income was ₦37753.92k, while the average rate of return to investment (return per naira invested) was 1.49. The overall mean technical efficiency score was about 56%. This suggests that farmers are relatively efficient in general. There is, however, a gap to improve their farming operations through adequate training on seeds and agrochemical use because both contribute to their inefficiencies.