Abstract:
The significance of maize production has been steadily increasing in recent years, primarily due
to its wide range of diversified applications. The objective of the present study was to identify the
socio-economic characteristics of maize farmers, to measure the productivity and technical
efficiency of maize production, and address the challenges faced by maize producing farmers in
the study area as well as suggest some policy options to address the problems. To achieve these
objectives, a Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function were employed. Primary data
was collected from 80 randomly selected farmers of the Sirajdikhan and Sreenagar Upazilas in the
Munshiganj district. The results indicated that the coefficients of parameters such as seed cost,
hired labor cost, machinery used cost, and chemical fertilizer cost were positive, with seed and
machinery used costs being highly significant, and the cost of chemical fertilizer cost significant
at the 5 percent level. On the other hand, the coefficients of family labor cost, irrigation cost, and
insecticide cost were negative, with the costs of irrigation and insecticide found to be insignificant.
The technical inefficiency effect model revealed that factors such as age, education, family size,
training, livestock rearing, and membership in social organizations were negative, indicating that
they help in reducing the technical inefficiency of maize farmers. In terms of the challenges faced
by farmers, the high price of quality seeds, natural disasters, and the high cost of labor were
identified as the top three concerns. To address these challenges and enhance maize production, it
is recommended to reduce seed costs, enhance farm mechanization and provide adequate extension
services.
Description:
A thesis submitted to the department of Agricultural Economics, Sher-e-Bangla
Agricultural University, Dhaka, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
