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Aim: The study estimated the technical, allocative and economic efficiency indices and further examined the factors influencing technical efficiency for the sampled Grasscutter farms in Osun State. Study Design: The study made use of only primary data obtained from sampled Grasscutter farmers in the three agricultural zones of the State. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Osun State, Nigeria during 2017/2018 farming season. Methodology: Twenty four respondents, each, were randomly selected from the list of Grasscutter farmers obtained from Osun State Agricultural Development Project (ADP). Data collected was analyzed using the stochastic frontier model and Tobit regression model. The overall technical efficiency was estimated with no effort of decomposing it into pure and scale efficiencies. Results: The results showed that the range of efficiency indices varies greatly with minimum of 0.742, 0.263 and 0.168 and maximum of 1.0 for technical, allocative and economic efficiencies, respectively. The mean efficiencies which indicate the average potential therein in Grasscutter production in the study area were 0.96, 0.63 and 0.83 for technical, allocative and economic efficiency, respectively. Only one, out of the seventy two grasscutter farmers involved in the analysis was found to be technically, allocatively and economically efficient. Many sampled grasscutter farmers employed the ‘wrong’ input mix, given input prices, so that, on average, costs were (37%) higher than the cost minimizing level. However, farms have the potential to reduce their physical input, on average, by (4%) and still produce the same level of output. Conclusion: There was a great potential to improve the output of grasscutter farms and save cost, if variable inputs were adjusted to the optimal level along the short-run isoquant. Education and farming experience significantly influenced technical, allocative and economic efficiencies, respectively, while inefficiency results, in large part, from allocative rather than technical inefficiency.

Social capital has become an important aspect of most rural communities in developing nations. But, the dimensions of social capital vary across rural regions while little is known about the factors influencing it in rural areas. This study aimed to identify the prevalent social capital dimensions in rural areas and examine the factors determining rural people involved in those dimensions. A field survey which consists of structured and self-administered questionnaire was carried out with rural households. The information of the survey was obtained from 220 rural households in the study area between August and October, 2019. The descriptive analysis identified social networks (3.875), norms (societal values) (3.390), trust and solidarity (4.115), and cooperation and group action (4.139) as the prevailing social capital dimensions in the rural communities. The results further suggest that cooperation, trust and solidarity, and networks are respectively the dominating social capital dimensions in the rural areas. The results from probit model estimates show that the factors that are more likely to be associated with social capital in rural areas include education, access to credit and ownership of farm (cash crop). Since social capital is becoming a prerequisite for rural development, our findings lead to the suggestion that cooperation, build-up of networks should be facilitated for people in the rural areas. Furthermore, policy direction towards access to education, credit provision and development of primary occupation in the rural areas should also be enhanced. Economic policy makers and rural development agencies are invited to continuously work on the identified factors to promote the individual, community and national development on equitable basis.