The Economic Analysis of Resource Used Efficiency for Cocoa Production in Cameroon: The Case Study of Lekie Division

Abstract

The general objective of this study is to present an economic analysis of the resources efficiently used for cocoa production in the Lekie division of Cameroon. Data were collected in around forty cocoa farms which were selected randomly across five towns (Obala, Monatele, Evodoula, Ebebda and Okola) of the division “Lekie”, Center Region of Cameroon. The data were analyzed using descriptive and regression techniques through stochastic production functions. The average cocoa production recorded in this study area was 643.275kg/ha. Our results showed the technical efficiency ranges from 10% to 100%, with an average efficiency of 43.7%. This implies that on average 56.3% more output would have been produced with the same level of inputs, if farmers were following best practices. The results observed that the size of the farmers’ household, marital status, access to bank credit, area of arable land and farmer’s membership in a cooperative are the main socioeconomic determinants of efficiency across farms in the division of Lekie. Technical training of farmers, extension service and rotation of cultivated land are the important measures that can be taken for increasing cocoa production in this part of Cameroon.