scholarly journals Effects of Improved Cassava Varieties on Farmers’ Income in Northern Agro-ecological Zone, Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Graceline O. Akongo ◽  
Godfrey A. Otim ◽  
Laban F. Turyagyenda ◽  
Anton Bua ◽  
Alfred Komakech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Parameter Estimate ◽  
Ecological Zone ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Fast Tracking ◽  
Cassava Varieties

This paper examines the extent to which improved cassava varieties contribute to improvement in income of smallholder farmers in the Northern agro-ecological zone of Uganda. In order to achieve the objective, data was collected from PRELNOR supported farmers’ fields, other farmers’ fields and baseline cassava fields. Consequently, descriptive statistics, gross margin and stochastic frontier analysis were adopted during analysis. Results from the analysis revealed that higher yields per hectare were registered within PRELNOR supported farmers’ fields and yield from NAROCAS1 surpassed all the varieties (37.3 tons per hectare). Location specific results revealed that Gulu had better yields (34.5 tons per hectare) while Kitgum registered the lowest average (24.1 tons per hectare). Gross margin indicated that every Shilling invested in improved variety earned profit 1.3 to 1.8 times above the local variety and each shillings invested in PRELNOR supported fields generated 5.6 times above the baseline fields. The parameter estimate for profit function revealed that planting material, other production related costs, NAROCAS1, NASE14 and NASE19 were positively correlated with profit but labour and baseline field had negative correlations. Conversely, profit efficiency grew by 40% under improved varieties against local varieties. This study suggests that the difference in yields and profit between locations was caused by biophysical characteristic; disease tolerant varieties can tremendously improve profitability and income; meanwhile the profit gaps were partly attributed to inefficiency. This study recommends fast tracking adoption of pest and disease tolerant varieties and integrated research and development approach throughout the cassava value chain.

scholarly journals Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Tomato Production in Semi-Urban Farms in Cameroon: A Stochastic Frontier Production Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong ◽  
Ernest L. Molua
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Frontier Analysis

Agriculture is the mainstay of Cameroon’s economy as it serves the purposes of food, livelihood and employment. Nevertheless, the country’s agriculture is plagued by low productivity and inefficiency in production. One of the main reasons for low productivity is the inability of farmers to fully exploit available technologies and production techniques. An important research question that comes to mind is, what are the major factors that hinder the technical efficiency of smallholder farmers? This study thus aimed to determine the level of technical efficiency in the production of tomato in smallholder farms, relying on primary data collected using a structured survey instrument administered to 80 tomato farmers in the Buea municipality of Cameroon. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a stochastic frontier analysis method in the Cobb-Douglas production function. The STATA.14 software was used to obtain both stochastic frontier estimates and the determinants of technical efficiency. The results indicate that farmers are not fully technically efficient with a mean technical efficiency score of 0.68 with one farmer operating on the frontier. The study also revealed that most of the farmers irrespective of the size of the holdings have shown technical inefficiency problems. The older farmers were observed with the best measures of technical efficiency. Education, age and the adoption and practice of agronomic techniques had a positive and significant influence on technical efficiency while the nearest distance to the extension agent had a rather negative influence on technical efficiency. The input-output relationship showed that the area of tomato cultivation and the quantity of improved seed used were positive and significantly related to output at the 5% level of probability. As a result, it is recommended that farmers should increase their farm size, use of improved seeds and the adoption and practice of novel techniques in production. More emphasis should be placed on extension agents as they have a significant role to play in terms of improving and augmenting farmers’ education and information base through on farm demonstrations and result oriented workshops as all this will ensure increased production and productivity thereby increasing technical efficiency and achieving food self-sufficiency.

scholarly journals Profiling Smallholder Farmers Goals and Aspirations for Enhanced Agricultural Development: a Case of Smallholder Maize Farmers

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Fakunle Olufemi Oyedokun ◽  
Zhou Leocadia
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
The Mean

The intervention of government in the development of smallholder agriculture is still grappling and has not yielded the desired results, despite the huge investment from government. This has been a source of concern to government and policy makers. This paper sought to analyze the socio-demographic features of the smallholder maize farmers; profile the goals and aspirations of these farmers; and lastly, to analyze the technical efficiency of maize farmers. Qamata and Tyefu in the Transkei and Ciskei homelands, respectively were purposively chosen for the study. Descriptive statistics; Principal component analysis (PCA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) were used in the analysis. The result shows, that majority (66%) of the farmers were males with an average range of 61 years old. On the other hand, the PCA indicated that there is a variation between predicted goals and aspiration among maize farmers. The SFA result showed that farmers were efficient. The mean technical efficiency estimates up to 100%, an indication that farmers are more efficient in the usage of factors of production at their disposal in the study area. This implies that smallholder maize farming is lucrative due to its profit-making potentials. Moreover, this is a clear indication that more income and wealth is generated thereby implying that it is strategic and pivotal in improving farmers’ livelihoods

scholarly journals Profiling Smallholder Farmers Goals and Aspirations for Enhanced Agricultural Development: a Case of Smallholder Maize Farmers

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4(J)) ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Fakunle Olufemi Oyedokun ◽  
Zhou Leocadia
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
The Mean

The intervention of government in the development of smallholder agriculture is still grappling and has not yielded the desired results, despite the huge investment from government. This has been a source of concern to government and policy makers. This paper sought to analyze the socio-demographic features of the smallholder maize farmers; profile the goals and aspirations of these farmers; and lastly, to analyze the technical efficiency of maize farmers. Qamata and Tyefu in the Transkei and Ciskei homelands, respectively were purposively chosen for the study. Descriptive statistics; Principal component analysis (PCA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) were used in the analysis. The result shows, that majority (66%) of the farmers were males with an average range of 61 years old. On the other hand, the PCA indicated that there is a variation between predicted goals and aspiration among maize farmers. The SFA result showed that farmers were efficient. The mean technical efficiency estimates up to 100%, an indication that farmers are more efficient in the usage of factors of production at their disposal in the study area. This implies that smallholder maize farming is lucrative due to its profit-making potentials. Moreover, this is a clear indication that more income and wealth is generated thereby implying that it is strategic and pivotal in improving farmers’ livelihoods

scholarly journals A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Technical Efficiency of Maize Production Under Minimum Tillage in Zambia

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Ng'ombe ◽  
Thomson Kalinda
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Exponential Model ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Minimum Tillage

<p>Minimum tillage and other conservation agriculture practices are not only associated with income gains but are also claimed to be the panacea to the declining agricultural productivity and soil degradation problems in Africa and across the world. The few studies on technical efficiency related to the agricultural sector performance in Zambia have not attempted to determine how technically efficient smallholder farmers that produce maize under minimum tillage are. This study used stochastic frontier analysis based on both the half-normal and exponential model distributions on 2008 cross-sectional nationally representative data of 160 smallholder maize farm households that adopted minimum tillage in Zambia. Results indicate that maize farmers face increasing returns to scale (1.074) implying that there were opportunities for them to improve their technical efficiency as they were operating in stage I of their production functions. The half-normal and exponential model distributions indicate average technical efficiency scores of 60 and 71.7 percent, respectively. Their respective lowest efficiency scores were 9.3 and 8.5 percent. The highest efficiency scores for the half-normal and exponential model distributions were 89.3 and 90.9 percent. Maximum likelihood estimation results show that marital status, level of education of household head, square of household size, off farm income, agro-ecological region III, distance to vehicular road and access to loans are statistically significant factors that affect technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers that practice minimum tillage in Zambia. The study calls for increased infrastructural development through construction of improved road network, schools and colleges in remote areas as a means to increasing accesss to knowledge and other agricultural services in order to enhance their technical efficiency levels. It also recommends promotion of minimum tillage practices in recommended agro-ecological regions to improve their technical efficiency. The study further acclaims for increased access to loans by smallholder maize farmers that practice minimum tillage as this would in one way induce them to invest in improved varieties and equipment that would help enhance their technical efficiency in Zambia.</p>

scholarly journals Productive efficiency of wine grape producers in the North of Portugal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micael Santos ◽  
Xosé Antón Rodríguez ◽  
Ana Marta-Costa
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Productive Efficiency ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The North ◽  
Major Player ◽  
Output Information

Portugal is a country traditionally dedicated to viticulture and characterized by the production of wines of high quality. However, although it continues to be a major player in the world, both in the extension of vineyards and in the production of wine, it is certain that in recent years Portugal have lost market share in these areas. In this context, it is interesting to analyze if this situation could be related to the level of productive efficiency of vineyards. Therefore, the aims of this study are to analyse the farms that are efficiently allocating resources to achieve maximum production and to identify characteristics that make the farm more efficient. In addition, we want to analyse the productive efficiency of the farms from a regional perspective. To achieve this purpose, we use a database collected by face-to-face surveys from a sample of 154 wine-growing farms with specific input-output information from 2017. These farms are locating in the three regions of the North of Portugal (Minho, Douro and Trás-os-Montes), which represents more than 40% of the Portuguese vineyard area. To analyse the productive efficiency of the farms, we use the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). The results show that the efficiency level in the wine-growing farms from the North of Portugal is arround 67%, but with significant differences at regional level. Many of these discrepancies may be due to structural factors, such as the type of grape produced in each region. In conclusion, the findings make evident that the most efficient farms are not the most profitable due to the structure of the existing value chain.

scholarly journals Market Imperfections within the European Wheat Value Chain: The Case of France and the United Kingdom

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 838
Author(s):  
Lukáš Čechura ◽  
Tinoush Jamali Jaghdani
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Market Imperfections ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Two Stages

The focus of this paper is on the analysis of market imperfections in the French and U.K. wheat value chains. We used mark-up and mark-down models and stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the degree of market imperfections in two completely different wheat-to-bread chains for two stages/sectors—milling and baking. Our results reveal some degree of market imperfections within the input and output markets for both the milling and baking sectors in France and the United Kingdom. However, the abuse of bargaining power is especially pronounced in the input market for the second stage of wheat processing, particularly in the French baking sector. However, we did not observe the expected positive association between the degree of market imperfections and company size except for a group of middle, large, and very large companies within the millers’ input market. Small companies indicate considerably high values of “Lerner”/Lerner indices, suggesting a benefit from other sources of competitive advantage (such as quality, niche markets, etc.).

scholarly journals ENTERPRISE ASSESSMENT ACROSS CASSAVA WASTE (PEELS) VALUE CHAIN IN OGUN STATE

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55
Author(s):  
V. A. ELEGBEDE ◽  
E. O. A. OLUWALANA ◽  
A. M. SHITTU
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cooperative Groups ◽  
Credit Access ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Cassava Peels

In this article, the Enterprise assessment across cassava peels value chain in Ogun State Nigeria is examined. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 180 cassava processors and marketers. Socio-economic data were obtained from respondents with the use of pre-tested questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, budgetary technique, Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and Student t-test. The study found that majority (84.3% and 52.8%) of processors of cassava peels and marketers were female. In addition, 60.2% of the processors and 51.4% of the marketers had secondary education. The value chain activities carried out by processors were transportation, drying and packaging while marketers transported, packaged and put the peels in storage for future sales. The SFA revealed that cost of labour (p<0.01) and quantity of fresh cassava peels (p<0.01) were the main determinants of output of dried cassava peels by the processors. The inefficiency model revealed that the efficiency of producing dried cassava peels increased with increase in age (p<0.01), credit access (p<0.01), household size (p<0.01) and membership of cooperative society (p<0.01). Furthermore, the cost function revealed that cost of sieving (p<0.05) and depreciation on capital item (p<0.01) increased the production cost of dried cassava peels. The mean technical, allocative and economic efficiency of producing dried cassava peels were estimated as 94%, 83% and 78% respectively. This study concluded that production of cassava peels is efficient and its trade is profitable. The study recommends that cassava processors and marketers should form cooperative groups to increase access to credit for higher output and trade of peels.

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