© Kamla-Raj 2015 J Hum Ecol, 52(1,2): 97-103 (2015) Resource Use Efficiency: A Stochastic Frontier Production Analysis of Smallholder Broiler Farmers in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province U. Luvhengo 1 , M. P. Senyolo 2 , A. Belete 3 and J.N. Lekunze 4 1 University of Limpopo, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Animal production and Agricultural economics, Turfloop Campus, Private Bag X1106 Sovenga 0727, South Africa 2 Taung Agricultural College, Department of Economics and IT, Private BagX532, Taung 8584 Telephone: 2 <+27-72-771-5376>, 3 <053-994-9800>, Fax: 3 < 086-762-9504> E-mail: 1 <luvhengousapfa@gmail.com>, 2 <josephlekunze@yahoo.com> KEYWORDS Technical Efficiency. Return to Scale. Poultry Production. Inputs. Socio-economic Factors ABSTRACT The objective of the paper was to determine the level of resource use efficiency by smallholder broiler farmers. Primary data was used and the stochastic frontier production analysis was applied to determine efficiency in levels in broiler production by smallholder farmers. The results of the estimates showed that all the inputs used were significant at one percent. The overall return to scale is greater than one indicating that resources are under- utilized. The result also revealed that the estimated farm level technical efficiency ranged from eight to ninety-seven percent with a mean of seventy-five percent on average indicating that smallholder broiler farmers in the study area can improve technical efficiency by twenty-five percent. The study recommends that extension officers should increase the frequency of contact with individual broiler farmers and implement policies that will promote access to credit and transport as a means to helps farmers use their resources efficiently. INTRODUCTION The problems of food insecurity and hunger in recent years have continued to attract the attention of research experts and governments worldwide. According to FAO (2015), progress towards food security requires that food is avail- able, accessible and in sufficient quantity and quality to contribute towards human develop- ment. The most critical concern in the global food basket crises is protein, especially of ani- mal origin. Isika et al. (2006) recommended poul- try production as a strategic source of animal protein in human nutrition due to its potential for high productive capacity, short generation interval and its competence in nutrient transfor- mation to high quality animal protein. In South Africa, the poultry industry con- sists of layers and broilers and the country’s broiler subsector had an estimated production growth rate of twenty-six percent between 2005 and 2010 (DAFF 2011). Commercial broiler pro- duction dominates the industry accounting for about 93.6 percent of the total country’s broiler meat production and the rest made up of small- holder broiler meat producers (DAFF 2011). Across the developing world, the majority of the poor and most of the hungry live in rural areas where family farming and smallholder agri- culture is prevailing and has the potential to in- crease productivity considerably and reduce poverty and hunger significantly (FAO 2015). According to FAO (2010), the definition of small- holder farmers varies from one region of the world to another. However, all smallholder farmers have a common feature, which is production for fam- ily consumption and sale of extra surplus and are characterized by relatively higher labor to capital ratio compared to commercial farmers. Most of the products produced by smallholder farmers are sold to local customers with a lower degree of processing compared to large com- mercial farmers who have access to retail and export markets (Louw et al. 2011). In the South African context, Kirsten and Zyl (1998) defined smallholder farmers in general as farmers whose scale is too small to attract the provision of ser- vices they need to significantly increase their productivity. Omotosho and Ladele (1998) de- fined smallholder poultry farmers to have a flock size of 1000 chickens or less. In Limpopo province of South Africa, large scale broiler meat producers are estimated at 404 (199 producers and 205 contract growers), which