| This study made use of two data sets of structured questionnaires on Mechanism for sustainable and efficient agriculture and Maize Farmers' Economic efficiency which were administered on 163 researchers, agric /extension officers and 120 farmers randomly selected and information collected were analyzed using means, standard deviation and Frontier 4.1 Based on the findings of this study, some important implications that emerged revolved around the new thinking in agriculture that is not only able to provide food, fiber and clothing/shelter but significantly serving as safety net in provision of employments and livelihoods that reduces poverty.Policymakers need to prioritize public investments on infrastructure in agriculture that are capable of increasing productivity as well as making food available to the majority of the populace. There is need for increased agricultural output for food security, which represents a major challenge primarily because of the possible and probable implication of food as a potent political issue capable of influencing not only international relations but also the stability and sovereignty of a nation.This further stresses the significance of the role of Agriculture in poverty reduction and the need for policy initiatives that would encourage capital flows as well as promote investments on infrastructure that are capable of strengthening productivity in agriculture for agric-led growth that has greater significance in poverty reduction through its multiplier effects. Poverty has been noted as one of the contributing factors of environmental degradation, as the poor in trying to make a living tend to exploit the environment unwisely, through destruction of forest and intensive cultivation of land which often resulted in soil infertility and poor yields. Policy incentives should be built to correct market failures by allocating resources to combat pollution that degrade public health, reduce agricultural productivity, deplete industrial production, fisheries, forestry and generate social costs that are capable of reducing income of farmers. On the other side, the model that sought to verify farmers' economic efficiency using stochastic production frontiers, findings indicate that more opportunities exist for farmers to enhance their productivity through efficient and sustainable practices that would guarantee them high yields and improved incomes provided they make maximum use of inputs with an appropriate mix of technology. With labor and inputs constituting factors that influence yield output. The economic efficiency of maize production in the frontier function model included fanner specific variables such as: age, land size, revenue, years of farming experience, and contact hours with extension agents, as well as access to credit facility. Findings reveal that education, age and farming experiences as well as credit facility are capable of influencing efficiency. Young farmers that are better educated, and have access to credit facility are better able to embrace new technology and are more likely to have higher efficiency. Conversely, contacts with extension agents and years of farming experience and old age have negative influence on technical and economic efficiency. The implication for these are that to enable farmers have economic efficiency, their education and on the job training and awareness should be created, they should be granted access to loans, and credits through banks and micro-financing institutions both government and non government. These would go a long way in increasing productivity to match the growing population, reduce food insecurity and guaranteed improve incomes for a better livelihood. Therefore the following become necessary for policy thrust that favors effective and efficient sustainable agriculture for poverty reduction: (i) Significant investments for rural development and agriculture should be concentrated in areas and regions where poverty and hunger are persistent and highly concentrated. There is need for a broader sustainable agricultural production that seeks to increase the farmers' productivity and enhanced incomes and welfare in line with good management of the ecosystem. (ii) Identification of viable policy options that can improve sustainable agriculture and the regeneration of the rural economies that would serve the multi-stakeholders, favorable policy formulations would have to encourage the marginalized rural people or the resource-poor are empowered rather than merely ignoring them to suffer the consequences. (iii) Policy makers should create the right environment for the resource-poor farmers and vulnerable households and organizations to engage in social movements and partnerships that are capable of providing them with the opportunities of improving their livelihoods. This should encompass a non -hostile institutional and legal framework that guarantees them full participation in decision making processes. (iv)There are needs for appropriate policy options for supplementing the informal insurance arrangements among poor rural households as their relative efficiency can be improved. (v) In pursuing the twin goals of maintaining the natural resource base e.g. forest and water resources and the environmental services on one hand and of poverty reduction on the other hand, policy formulations would have to recognize this as a major challenge that confronts sustainable agriculture. (vi)The emerging role of agriculture and rural development is therefore a necessary condition that must be fulfilled if agriculture is to raise productivity levels. This calls for government and public investments in infrastructure, research and development as well as human resource development which are likely to account for successes. (vii) Efficiency is shaped by the institutions in any economy, which determines the opportunities and incentives that industries, firms and production units face. A country's institutions shape how its citizens' efforts are directed to produce activities, accumulation of factors of production and intervention of new technologies. The current paradigm of Nigeria's agriculture needs to be restructured for effective production that restores food efficiency as well as providing fanners increased income and well being. (viii) Since the most important difficulties facing economic policymakers in developing economies who want to further the country's growth is how to build institutions that are conducive for growth. A salient feature is of efficiency and sustainability of the economy is the degree to which they can take advantage of the benefits of specialization and the gains of differentiation trade by interacting with other countries. Restructuring the agricultural institution and trade improvements could result in economic efficiency through the accumulation of factors of production that can lead to economic efficiency and sustainability. (ix) Agricultural policies should look beyond the local prosperity to serve the needs of the greater economy by creating industrial revolution that is aimed at solving the problem of food security through sustainability and viability of the poor farmers and rural communities. An approach that would stimulate economic and social opportunities that would spur innovation and growth patterns within the rural economy capable of contributing to poverty reduction, job creation for the rural poor households can lead to the revitalization of the rural economy and stem the rural-urban drifts. (x) For sustainable development there is need for policy formulations that would encourage the small scale producers who are the livewire of the rural economy to participate in the food production which have the potentials for improving farm profitability, enhancing social and economic well being in communities and sustainability of the natural systems. |
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