Agricultural Economics Research Review

The paper has investigated agro-ecology management through efficient energy optimization in maize production in the Niger state of Nigeria based on the data collected from 120 respondents for 2014 cropping season. The stochastic energy frontier function has been used to estimate the energy efficiency. The study has shown that in total inputs energy used in maize production 85.2 per cent was contributed by agrochemical input or coming from biological energy. The average farmer has been found to operate at the rational stage (RTS=0.72) of energy inputs utilization which has been collaborated by the mean energy efficiency score of 0.78. It means that the average farmers are beneath the energy frontier and therefore require energy saving of 22 per cent to be on the frontier. However, the estimated gamma coefficient (0.54) and the generalized likelihood test results have indicated the presence of energy inefficiency effects in maize production. Therefore, reduction in agrochemical consumption and improvement in agro-management practices are important for energy saving and decreasing the environmental risk problems in the area.