This study analyzed the efficiency of crop-livestock production and assessing their potential for improvement in North-East Ethiopian highlands. Cross-sectional data were used to analyze the economic efficiency of mixed crop and livestock production system and identify its determinants factors from 252 farmers who were selected using probability proportional to sample size sampling technique. The parametric method stochastic frontier approach was employed to measure economic efficiency. The parametric methods of efficiency measurement indicated that most farmers in the study area were not efficient suggesting that efficiency improvement is one of the possible avenues for increasing agricultural production with available resource and technology. The mean Technical Efficiency (TE), Allocative Efficiency (AE) and Economic Efficiency (EE) of the household calculated from parametric approach of stochastic frontier analysis were 62%, 51% and 29%, respectively. The production efficiency of mixed crop-livestock farming system was determined by farm size, livestock ownership, labour availability, off/non-farm income participation, total household asset, total household consumption expenditure and improved technology adoption. This study found that improved agricultural technology adoption significantly improved production efficiency of households. Such actions may, in turn, alleviate the current problem of food insecurity and lead in the long run to economic development in the country.

This study analysed farmers’ awareness of European Union (EU) ban on using some cocoa pesticides and factors determining use of pesticides by farmers. Tobit model was fitted to the cross sectional data collected from 100 sampled farmers across six (6) local governments’ area of Osun State, Nigeria. Although majority (74%) of the respondents are aware of the EU Pronouncement, some of the banned chemicals are still being use by farmers. Results from Tobit estimates indicate that pesticide price is among the significant variables influencing the decision to use a particular pesticide or not. Major policy thrusts for devising pesticide use regulation, increasing farmers’ awareness of the harmful effects of using banned pesticide and regulating pesticide prices to an affordable level are suggested to ensure appropriate use of pesticides by farmers.

This study analyzed the efficiency of crop-livestock production and assessing their potential for improvement in North-East Ethiopian highlands. Cross-sectional data were used to analyze the economic efficiency of mixed crop and livestock production system and identify its determinants factors from 252 farmers who were selected using probability proportional to sample size sampling technique. The parametric method stochastic frontier approach was employed to measure economic efficiency. The parametric methods of efficiency measurement indicated that most farmers in the study area were not efficient suggesting that efficiency improvement is one of the possible avenues for increasing agricultural production with available resource and technology. The mean Technical Efficiency (TE), Allocative Efficiency (AE) and Economic Efficiency (EE) of the household calculated from parametric approach of stochastic frontier analysis were 62%, 51% and 29%, respectively. The production efficiency of mixed crop-livestock farming system was determined by farm size, livestock ownership, labour availability, off/non-farm income participation, total household asset, total household consumption expenditure and improved technology adoption. This study found that improved agricultural technology adoption significantly improved production efficiency of households. Such actions may, in turn, alleviate the current problem of food insecurity and lead in the long run to economic development in the country.