Efficiency Improvement of Small Sorghum Farms in India and Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigates the technical, allocative, and economic efficiency of small sorghum farms in India and Nigeria, two major sorghum-producing developing countries where the crop is vital for food security and rural livelihoods. Using primary data collected from 240 farmers in Karnataka, India, and 240 farmers in Adamawa State, Nigeria, during the 2013 cropping season, the study employs stochastic frontier production and cost functions to estimate efficiency levels. The results reveal that farm size, labour, and seed are significant factors positively influencing sorghum output in both countries, while fertilizer and chemicals show limited impact. The mean technical efficiency was 0.63 for India and 0.78 for Nigeria, while mean allocative efficiency was 0.61 and 0.58, respectively. Consequently, the mean economic efficiency was estimated at 0.40 for India and 0.45 for Nigeria, indicating substantial room for improvement. The findings suggest that farmers in both countries could increase their economic efficiency by 55% to 60% under the existing technology by better utilising their resources. The study concludes that enhancing the efficiency of sorghum production systems through targeted training and resource management could significantly boost agricultural growth, nutritional security, and farmer incomes, particularly in rainfed regions vulnerable to climate change.
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Introduction
Sorghum is an important feed to human and animal used in countries like the United State, India, Mexico, South America, Nigeria and Australia. Good-quality sorghum is available with a nutritional feeding value that is equivalent to that of corn. Sorghum can be processed to further improve and increase its feed value and techniques such as grinding, steam flaking, crushing popping, steaming and extruding have all been used to enhance the grain for feeding. The products are then fed to beef, dairy cattle, swine, laying hens, poultry, sheep, and are used in pet foods. As much as 12 percent of domestic sorghum production also goes to produce ethanol and its various products. With the demand for renewable energy fuel sources increasing, demand for products like sorghum-DDGS (sorghum distiller's dried grains with soluble) will increase as well due to sorghum's favourable nutrition profile.Sorghum is about 70% starch, so is a good energy source. Its starch consists of 70 to enzymatic digestion.On cooking, the gelatinized starch of sorghum tends to return from the soluble, dispersed and amorphous state to insoluble 80% amyl pectin, a branched-chain polymer of glucose, and 20 to 30% amylase, a straight-chain polymer. Sorghum is the rich in protein, magnesium, copper and iron as compared to wheat, corn and rice (table below).
Conclusion
Sorghum is one of the most drought tolerant crop grown in rainfed regions by small farmers. Having better nutritional value, the sorghum has taken an important place in the consumption basket of high income group people. Minimum Support Price as well as market price is also higher than the other cereals like wheat, maize and paddy. Despite the significant growth in sorghum production, there is huge inefficiency in the production system of sorghum production. The analysis of economic efficiency indicated there exists a scope of increase by 60 percent in India and 55 percent in Nigeria.Therefore it is suggested that in the climatic change scenario sorghum farmers in rainfed regions should be well trained to exploit the full potential of resources so that their income can be enhanced by more than 60 percent.theefficiency of production system will have direct positive impact on agricultural growth, nutritional security and rural livelihood in a country like India and Nigeria, where sorghum is one of the major crops.
References
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