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Abstract

This study determined factors affecting resource use efficiency in cocoa production in Ikom local government area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The study described the socioeconomic characteristics of the cocoa farmers in the study area and determined the relationship between farm productive inputs and output of cocoa production. Primary data were collected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean, and regression analysis. From the findings of the study, it was revealed that males were dominant in cocoa production with 80.8% as compared to 19.2% in the case of females and a productive age bracket of 21-50 years. The distribution on marital status revealed that 57.5% of respondents were married, 20.0% were single, 9.2% and 13.3 % were widow/widower and divorced respectively. The study also indicated that cocoa farmers in the study area had household sizes ranging between 3 -20 in a household. The findings of the study indicated that most of the farmers had some level of formal educational background. The distribution of farming experience showed that cocoa farming is not just an occupation but a way of life for the people in the study area, hence, it does not require years of experience to be involved in cocoa production. The analysis of the regression results revealed that farm resources such as farm size, labour, capital, herbicides, insecticides and cocoa seedlings positively and significantly influenced cocoa output per hectare. Cocoa farmers are advised to join cooperatives to pool together their financial resources to get loans and enjoy other benefits of cooperative membership such as the availability of market outlets for cocoa sales; marketing information and improved cocoa seedlings for planting.