Abstract: This study analyzed the economic efficiency of smallholder cassava production in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria, using primary data collected from 120 farmers through a multistage sampling technique. The study employed the stochastic frontier normalized profit function to estimate efficiency levels and identify determinants of inefficiency. Descriptive statistics results showed that the average farm size was 1.58 ha, with a mean output of 15,240 kg (15.24 tons) per production season. Labour use was intensive, with 79.18 mandays of family labour and 54.62 mandays of hired labour, while average expenditures on fertilizer (₦41,350), agrochemicals (₦23,480), and capital inputs (₦68,540) reflect moderate input utilization levels. The maximum likelihood estimates showed that the model was well fitted, with a statistically significant sigma-squared (σ² = 3.9184, p < 0.01) and a high gamma value (γ = 0.9146). Results also showed that the major factors that influenced normalized profit included family labour (p < 0.05), fertilizer (p < 0.01), cassava cuttings (p < 0.01), farm size (p < 0.01) and annual depreciation (p < 0.10). Determinants of inefficiency showed that education (δ₂ = −0.0614), farming experience (δ₃ = −0.0283), credit access (δ₆ = −0.2478), and cooperative membership (δ₇ = −0.2063) significantly reduced inefficiency, while age increased inefficiency (δ₁ = 0.0317). The mean economic efficiency was 0.73, implying that farmers operate at 73% efficiency, with a potential cost-saving margin of 23% if optimal resource allocation is achieved. Efficiency levels ranged from 0.36 to 0.95. The study recommends that cassava farmers in the study area should form cooperative societies so as to enable them have access to productive inputs that will enable them expand their resource base and consequently their scale of operation Key words: stochastic frontier, normalized profit, economic efficiency, profitability, smallholders.jaerem NEW Onu, Donatus Onwuha 2A
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