Technical Allocation Efficiency of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) Cultivation in Delta State, Nigeria

This study conducted an economic analysis of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) production in Delta State. The research employed a three-stage sampling procedure in choose 175 vegetable farmers. Data was collected primarily through questionnaires, and various statistical methods, including mean, percentage count, frequency, and stochastic frontier function, were utilized. Technical efficiency analysis indicated that various inputs, including labor, capital, and materials, were efficient, while land and pesticides were not. Challenges in this farming sector include input cost fluctuations, shortages of labour, and limited access to support services. Labor cost showed significance in production. Despite these challenges, the technical efficiency analysis of weighted average mean of 2.8 clearly indicated that the farmers were technically efficient in their operations in fluted pumpkin farming. Based on these findings, it is recommended that strategies should be developed to mitigate unpredictable input cost fluctuations, potentially through cooperative buying or government subsidies.