scholarly journals Determinants of Economic Farm-Size–Efficiency Relationship in Smallholder Maize Farms in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajuruchukwu Obi ◽  
Balogun Taofeek Ayodeji
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Land Size ◽  
Farming Households ◽  
Size Efficiency

The economic farm-size–efficiency relationship for maize remains unclear. A question that has yet to be answered conclusively is whether farm size affects productivity. The debate on land-appropriation-without-compensation ultimately revolves around the optimal land size and conditions under which farmers can benefit from a more rational utilization of available land. As important as the farm-size–efficiency debate is, it has not received much attention since the launch of the land reform programme. Again, the farm sizes examined in the previous studies reflected large-scale commercial agriculture and were mainly in relation to wheat production rather than the dietary staple of maize. This paper applied parametric efficiency measures under alternative distributional assumptions to data generated from 267 maize-farming households, to understand the economic farm-size–efficiency relationships and their determinants. It emerged that, while farm size is a key determinant of economic efficiency in maize production, its effect on technical efficiency is still contested. Findings suggest that farmer support should be prioritized, and the government’s efforts to make farmers more productive should emphasize gender equity and optimal use of land.

scholarly journals Determinants of Food Security Status of Maize-Based Farming Households in Southern Guinea Savannah Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwayemisi Abidemi Onasanya ◽  
Oluwakemi Adeola Obayelu
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Logit Model ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Calorie Intake ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Farming Households

Nigeria is one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa with insufficient food and high food import bill, which have debilitating effects on the productive capacity of the citizens. Maize is the most important cereal after rice and its production contributes immensely to food availability on the tables of many Nigerians. This study examined the contribution of maize production to household food security status of rural maize-farming households in the southern guinea savannah of Oyo state, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 200 farm households and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics, recommended daily calorie requirement (RDCR) approach, Logit model. Results showed that about three-quarters of the households were food secure and were able to meet the recommended calorie intake of 2260Kcal per capita per day. The shortfall index (P) which measures the extent of deviation from the food security line, indicated that the food secure households exceeded the RDCR by 65%, while the food insecure households fell short of the RDCR by 31%. The logit model showed that maize output, gender, primary occupation of the farmer, farm size and farming experience had a positive influence on food security status while age had a negative influence on the food security status of maize-based farming households in the Southern Guinea Savannah of Oyo State, Nigeria. This suggests need for specific support to improve maize production

scholarly journals FARM SIZE EFFICIENCY DIFFERENTIALS OF BIO-FORTIFIED CASSAVA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA: A STOCHASTIC FRONTIER ANALYSIS APPROACH

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Kolapo Adetomiwa ◽  
Raji Ibraheem Adeyemi ◽  
Falana Kayode ◽  
Muhammed Opeyemi Abdulmumin
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Cassava Production ◽  
Size Efficiency

The study specifically investigated farm size efficiency differentials of bio-fortified cassava production in Nigeria. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of bio-fortified cassava producers in Nigeria. The estimated coefficients of the parameters of production variables for small scale bio-fortified cassava farm size (land, herbicide and fertilizer) played a major role in bio-fortified cassava production on a small scale in Nigeria. For the medium and large scale bio-fortified cassava farm size, production variables (land, labor and fertilizer) and (land, labor, herbicide and fertilizer) respectively played a major role in bio-fortified cassava production. The average economic efficiency of the small, medium and large scale bio-fortified cassava producers was 42%, 54% and 63% respectively. Policies intended to increase the popularization and cultivation of bio-fortified cassava in Nigeria should be targeted toward the small and medium scale cassava farmers since they carried the majority of the producer of bio-fortified cassava in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic analysis of the food security status of maize farming households in giwa local government area of kaduna state, nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 458-462
Author(s):  
Oyinbo Oyakhilomen ◽  
Jonathan Juliet
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Socioeconomic Analysis ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Farming Households

his study specifically examined the food security status of the maize farming households, their perception on the contribution of maize farming to their households food security status and the determinants of the food security status of the maize farming households in the study area. Primary data collected from a sample size of 100 maize farming households were employed in the study and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index and logit regression. The result showed that 54% of the maize farming households was food secure while 46% were food insecure. The maize farming households perceived maize farming to be important in contributing to their household food security. The factors significant in influencing food security in the study area were household size, household income, farming experience, association, extension, education and farm size. It was recommended that farmers should adopt proper maize farming management practices aimed at high intensity of maize production which will serve as maize production offers an opportunity for increasing household food security.

scholarly journals How Much Do Rice Farmers Earn from Their Crops? Evidence from a Rice-Exporting Country

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
Tran Quoc Nhan ◽  
Le Thi Van Ly ◽  
Le Van Tan
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rice Farming ◽  
Production Scale ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
Land Size ◽  
Farming Households

This study aims to investigate the earning capability of rice-farming households in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The Delta is recognized as the largest rice-producing region in Vietnam that is known as the world’s third rice exporter. We used data collected from a farm-household survey with 110 rice farmers and applied descriptive statistics and correlation model for data analysis. We found that although the production scale of rice farmers is relatively small, their rice cultivation is profitable. The findings illustrated that the rice-farming household’s income was significantly associated with rice income and rice land size. This suggests that the rice households’ income is likely to rely on their farm size. Evidence from the study showed that rice households, particularly small-scale farms earn low income and they are likely to remain poor and in a state of poverty. The implication of the study may be that the Vietnamese government should amend the policy on rice land use and pay more considerable attention to small-farm households.

scholarly journals Farm Size, Risk Aversion and Overuse of Fertilizer: The Heterogeneity of Large-Scale and Small-Scale Wheat Farmers in Northern China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Haixia Wu ◽  
Hantao Hao ◽  
Hongzhen Lei ◽  
Yan Ge ◽  
Hengtong Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Deviation Degree ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The excessive use of fertilizer has resulted in serious environmental degradation and a high health cost in China. Understanding the reasons for the overuse of fertilizer is critical to the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture, and large-scale operation is considered as one of the measures to deal with the excessive fertilizer use. Under the premise of fully considering the resource endowment and heterogeneity of large-scale farmers and small-scale farmers in production and management, different production decision-making frameworks were constructed. Based on the 300 large-scale farmers and 480 small-scale farmers in eight provinces of northern China wheat region, we analyzed the optimal fertilizer use amount and its deviation as well as the influencing factors of small-scale and large-scale farmers, then further clarified whether the development of scale management could solve the problem of excessive fertilizer use. The empirical results show that: (1) both small-scale farmers and large-scale farmers deviated from the optimal fertilizer application amount, where the deviation degree of optimal fertilizer application of small-scale farmers is significantly higher than that of large-scale farmers, with a deviation degree of 35.43% and 23.69% for small and large scale farmers, respectively; (2) not all wheat growers in North China had the problem of excessive use of chemical fertilizer, as the optimal level of chemical fertilizer application in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia are 346.5 kgha−1 and 335.25 kgha−1, while the actual fertilizer use amount was 337.2 kgha−1 and 324.6 kgha−1, respectively; and (3) the higher the risk aversion level, farmers tended to apply more fertilizer to ensure grain output. Therefore, increasing farm size should be integrated into actions such as improving technological innovation and providing better information transfer to achieve the goal of zero-increase in Chinese fertilizer use.

scholarly journals Small-scale fishing income and fuel consumption: Fiji’s artisanal sea cucumber fishery

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1758-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W Purcell ◽  
Watisoni Lalavanua ◽  
Brian R Cullis ◽  
Nicole Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Deep Water Species ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 artisanal fishers among 34 island villages in an artisanal sea cucumber fishery in Fiji. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of geographic and socioeconomic variables on incomes and fuel use from fishing sea cucumbers. Net income of sea cucumbers to fishers, averaging FJ$8, 171 year−1 (US$4, 494 year−1) (range: FJ$0–52,008 year−1), varied among villages and was 47% lower for women than men. On an average, 60% of fishers’ gross annual income came from fishing and selling sea cucumbers, although this proportion varied greatly even within villages. Fishers who practised gleaning, fished less often, or possessing numerous livelihood income streams, were less economically dependent on sea cucumbers. Men tended to estimate higher incomes for an average day of fishing than women when compared with their recall of last sale. Fuel use varied greatly among regions in Fiji but, overall, averaged 428 L fisher−1 year−1, and represented 28% of gross income. More economical fishing strategies by women resulted in lower fuel use than men per fishing day. Breath-hold divers used less fuel (compared to fishers using scuba) and fishers targeting deep-water species used more fuel than other fishers. A best approximation of 8000 t CO2 year−1 for the carbon footprint of the whole fishery suggests that some SSFs, such as the one studied here, can be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to many large-scale fisheries globally. Reforms to the management of SSFs should consider regulations that minimize carbon emissions and reduce economic dependency on vulnerable marine resources.

scholarly journals Technical Efficiency and Small Scale Maize Producers in Mwanza Region: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukole Kongolo
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Frontier Analysis

This study measured technical efficiency and its determinants in maize production by small-scale producers in Mwanza region, using a stochastic frontier production function approach. A randomly selected sample of participants in the two districts was used. The Maximum Likelihood estimation procedure was followed to obtain the determinants of technical efficiency and technical efficiency levels of small-scale maize producers. The minimum and maximum values of technical efficiency were between 20% and 91%, indicating that the least practices of specific producer operates at a minimum level of 20%, while the best practice producers  operate  at 91% technical efficiency  level respectively. The summary results of the mean technical efficiency was 63%. The main determinants of technical efficiency were labour, farm size, producer’s experience, producer’s age, family size which were all positive and statistically significant. The findings suggest that the average efficiency of small-scale maize producers could be improved by 37% through better use of existing resources and technology. These findings highlight the need for action by government to assist small-scale maize producers improve efficiency.

scholarly journals Relative Profitability of Maize Production under Different Farm Size Groups in Kishoregonj District of Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Uddin ◽  
MHA Rashid ◽  
S Akhter
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Statistical Techniques ◽  
Average Standard Deviation ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Size Groups ◽  
Gross Margins ◽  
Relative Profitability

This study was conducted to estimate the relative profitability of Maize production under different farm size groups. Data were collected from randomly selected 74 maize growing farmers of which 25 were small, 32 were medium and 17 were large considering the scope and potentials of maize production at Kishoregonj district. To achieve the objectives of the study, descriptive statistical techniques such as sum, average, standard deviation etc, were used. The major findings of the study showed that per hectare average total costs were Tk. 30,147.54, Tk. 31,892.00 and Tk. 34,059.00 for small, medium and large farmers, respectively. Per hectare gross return from maize production were Tk. 61,730.00, Tk. 79,716.00 and Tk. 75,707.00 for small, medium and large farmers, respectively. Per hectare gross margins from maize production was estimated at Tk. 36,836.00, Tk. 53,096.00 and Tk. 46,871.00 for small, medium and large farmers, respectively. Per hectare average net returns of maize were estimated at Tk. 31,583.00, Tk. 47,823.00 and Tk. 41,648.00 for small, medium and large farmers, respectively. The findings of the study revealed that medium farmers earned higher profit than those of small and large farmers.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/pa.v21i1-2.16781 Progress. Agric. 21(1 & 2): 247 - 252, 2010

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document