This study used the stochastic frontier model to examine the technical, allocative and economic
efficiency of maize production in northern Ghana using cross-sectional data for the 2011/2012
cropping season. Conventional inputs such as farm size, seed, fertilizer, labour and weedicides
were statistically significant and had positive effects on maize output in northern Ghana
using the Cobb-Douglas functional form. The mean estimates were 85.1%, 87.8% and 74.7% for
technical, allocative and economic efficiencies respectively. Largely, maize production in the
study area exhibited increasing returns to scale. The determinants of technical inefficiency were
experience, agricultural extension service and gender. Farmers with many years of experience
in maize production were more technically efficient and opportunities that bring the less
experienced farmers to tap the accumulated knowledge of the more experienced ones would
improve maize production. Farmers who had access to agricultural extension services were
more technically efficient than those who did not have access and strengthening the extension
service would further enable them improve on their technical efficiency. Male farmers were
more technically efficient than females in maize cultivation and efforts that stress gender
equality as regards access to economic resources, information and decision-making would help
narrow this gap. There is allocative inefficiency relative to all the production inputs under the
prevailing prices. Land, seed and weedicides would be allocatively efficient by increasing their
use by 26.6%, 10.52% and 39.9% respectively. Fertilizer and labour are currently being over-used
and requires 82.8% and 94.5% reductions respectively to reach their allocatively efficient points