Productivity of chemical pest control inputs on rice production on Anambra State of Nigeria

The use of pesticides in swamp rice production was studied among small-scale swamp rice growers in Anambra State in 1993. The study area was the main rice growing area of the state namely Oyi, Ogbaru and Anambra Local Government Areas. A total of 110 farmers were involved in the study Both descriptive and quantitative analysis were carried out. The study revealed that 81.8 per cent of the farmers were aware of pesticides. However, only 59.1 per cent actually used them. Different types of pesticides were used by the farmers. Production function analysis revealed that although a positive relationship exist between Pest control input and yield the coefficient was less than one. It shows that although the use of these inputs was efficient, efficiency can be improved upon by using them at the optimal level.