Economics of Environmental Pollution on Cassava-Based Farmers’ Health and Production Efficiency within Lafarge Cement Concession Area in Mfamosing, Cross River State, Nigeria

The paper undertakes an assessment of the economics of environmental pollution on cassava-based farmers’ health and production efficiency within the Lafarge cement concession area in Mfamosing, Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State. Data for the study were sourced from 60 cassava-based farmers drawn from neighbourhood and non-neighbourhood locations and analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic production frontier techniques. The result showed that farming activities in the area have been dominated by females with an average age of 43 and 35 years of age and household size between 4 and 6 persons. Clearly, the results indicate that cement plant activities have reduced farm productivity over the last 5 years, and has affected the livelihood of the farmers. The study also averred that respiratory diseases, diarrhea, skin rashes, heart disease, asthma, coughs and skin cancer have been the various health challenges suffered by the farmers. According to the study results, farmers lost 44 days due to heart disease, 33 days due to respiratory diseases, and 7 days due to diarrhea. The result of the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of the stochastic frontier production function indicate that hired labour, quantity of fertilizer used and quantity of cassava stem cuttings were the significant variables that influenced cassava yield. The estimated technical efficiency (TE) ranged from 0.45 - 0.99, with a mean index of 0.67 (target group) and 0.57 – 0.99, with a mean of 0.82 (control group). The number of days lost due to illness was the most significant variable influencing inefficiency levels in the study area. It was, therefore, recommended that policies aimed at increasing efficiency should focus on improving health care services in the farming communities, while encouraging efficient level of pollution control by the prescribed cement factory, ab initio.