ABSTRACT:

The study analyzed farm input use efficiency in rice production in Ebonyi State which is one of the major rice producing States in Nigeria. Specifically, the study estimated the production function of rice farmers; determined resource use efficiency among rice farmers; evaluated the elasticity of production and returns to scale for the farmers and identified the constraints faced by the smallholder rice farmers in the study area. Multistage sampling technique were employed in the sample selection. Primary data were collected with the use of structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentage, means and multiple regression. The result show that about 50.6% of the respondents were females while 49.4% were males. Farm size, quantity of planting material, fertilizer and cost of agrochemicals were significant variables that influence the output of the rice farmers. Input use efficiency show that farm size, planting material and fertilizer were under utilized while labour, capital and agrochemicals were over utilized. Return to scale of an average farmer in the study area was 1.949 indicating increasing returns to scale. The major constraint identified was high cost of improved seed varieties ((𝑋̅= 3.79).Therefore, it was recommended that supply of subsidized improved planting material (seed) and fertilizer by government to rice farmers is paramount to increase in the level of output. There is need to promote amalgamation of fragmented farm lands through cooperation faming.