Resource Use Efficiency in Rice Production: the Case of Kpong Irrigation Project in the Dangme West District of Ghana

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the efficiency of resource use in rice production with the Kpong Irri- gation Project (KIP) as a case study. Seventy farmers were selected using the simple random sampling technique. The Cobb-Douglass production function was used to estimate the coefficients of the various variables analysed and MPP, MVP and allocative efficiency index were also used to estimate the efficiency of resource use in the study area. The regression results showed that the farmers were in the second stage of production, which is, decreasing returns to scale (using the elas- ticities). The results of the efficiency computation indicated that land (6.63), fertilizer (1.76) and seed (10.84) were being underutilized and labour (0.000036) and chemicals were being highly over utilized in the study area. The study recom- mends that KIP should embark on repair works on the roads, provide appropriate machinery services and desilting the drains.