IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/afjare/333985.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Responding to inefficiencies on smallholder maize farms: Can sustained adoption of sustainable agricultural practices make a difference?

Author

Listed:
  • Mgomezulu, Wisdom Richard
  • Machira, Kennedy
  • Edriss, Abdi-Khalil
  • Pangapanga-Phiri, Innocent
  • Chitete, Moses M.N.

Abstract

This study aimed to bring forth empirical evidence of the effect of the sustained adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) on the technical and profit efficiency of farmers. Previous studies remain inconclusive about whether the adoption of SAPs has any bearing on the efficiency of maize farmers. The current study introduced the concept of sustained adoption and compared levels of efficiency between one-time SAP adopters and sustained adopters. Using a sample of 2 100 households, the study employed the Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier model to analyse both the technical and profit efficiency of maize farmers, and a two-stage tobit model was used to control for endogeneity. The study found that the one-time adoption of SAPs has no effect on the technical efficiency of maize farmers, whilst sustained adoption significantly improves the technical and profit efficiency of maize farmers. The study recommends a shift towards promoting the sustained adoption of SAPs for sustainable benefits for farmers.

Suggested Citation

  • Mgomezulu, Wisdom Richard & Machira, Kennedy & Edriss, Abdi-Khalil & Pangapanga-Phiri, Innocent & Chitete, Moses M.N., 2022. "Responding to inefficiencies on smallholder maize farms: Can sustained adoption of sustainable agricultural practices make a difference?," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 17(4), December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:afjare:333985
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.333985
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/333985/files/3.-Mgomezulu-et-al.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.333985?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane & Berhane, Guush & Minten, Bart & Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum, 2015. "Agricultural growth in Ethiopia (2004-2014): Evidence and drivers," ESSP working papers 81, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Mapemba, Lawrence & Mgomezulu, Wisdom Richard & Kalua, Gracious, 2019. "Analysis of profit efficiency of smallholder common bean farmers in Malawi," 2019 Sixth International Conference, September 23-26, 2019, Abuja, Nigeria 295784, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    3. Lee, Lung-Fei & Tyler, William G., 1978. "The stochastic frontier production function and average efficiency : An empirical analysis," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 385-389, April.
    4. Vaiknoras, Kate & Larochelle, Catherine & Birol, Ekin & Asare-Marfo, Dorene & Herrington, Caitlin, 2019. "Promoting rapid and sustained adoption of biofortified crops: What we learned from iron-biofortified bean delivery approaches in Rwanda," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 271-284.
    5. Amadu, Festus O. & McNamara, Paul E. & Miller, Daniel C., 2020. "Understanding the adoption of climate-smart agriculture: A farm-level typology with empirical evidence from southern Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    6. Tchale, Hardwick, 2009. "The efficiency of smallholder agriculture in Malawi," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 3(2), pages 1-21, September.
    7. Varian, Hal R, 1984. "The Nonparametric Approach to Production Analysis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(3), pages 579-597, May.
    8. Kumbhakar,Subal C. & Wang,Hung-Jen & Horncastle,Alan P., 2015. "A Practitioner's Guide to Stochastic Frontier Analysis Using Stata," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107609464, July.
    9. Battese, G E & Coelli, T J, 1995. "A Model for Technical Inefficiency Effects in a Stochastic Frontier Production Function for Panel Data," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 325-332.
    10. Krah, Kwabena & Michelson, Hope & Perge, Emilie & Jindal, Rohit, 2019. "Constraints to adopting soil fertility management practices in Malawi: A choice experiment approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Christopher F. Parmeter & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2022. "Stochastic Frontier Analysis: Foundations and Advances I," Springer Books, in: Subhash C. Ray & Robert G. Chambers & Subal C. Kumbhakar (ed.), Handbook of Production Economics, chapter 8, pages 331-370, Springer.
    2. Markose Chekol Zewdie & Michele Moretti & Daregot Berihun Tenessa & Zemen Ayalew Ayele & Jan Nyssen & Enyew Adgo Tsegaye & Amare Sewnet Minale & Steven Van Passel, 2021. "Agricultural Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia: A Stochastic Frontier Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Antony Andrews & Omphile Temoso & Sean Kimpton, 2021. "Persistent and Transient Inefficiency of Australian States and Territories in Providing Public Hospital Services: An Application of Bayesian Stochastic Finite Mixture Frontier Analysis," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 40(2), pages 104-115, June.
    4. MAIMOUNA DIAKITE & Jean-François BRUN, 2016. "Tax Potential and Tax Effort: An Empirical Estimation for Non-Resource Tax Revenue and VAT’s Revenue," EcoMod2016 9537, EcoMod.
    5. Yuichi Watanabe & Haruko Noguchi & Yoshinori Nakata, 2020. "How efficient are surgical treatments in Japan? The case of a high-volume Japanese hospital," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 401-413, September.
    6. Keller, Michael, 2020. "Wasted windfalls: Inefficiencies in health care spending in oil rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    7. Thanh Ngo & Kan Wai Hong Tsui, 2022. "Estimating the confidence intervals for DEA efficiency scores of Asia-Pacific airlines," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3411-3434, September.
    8. Rudra Bahadur SHRESTHA & Wen-Chi HUANG & Shriniwas GAUTAM & Thomas Gordon JOHNSON, 2016. "Efficiency of small scale vegetable farms: policy implications for the rural poverty reduction in Nepal," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 62(4), pages 181-195.
    9. Gao, Penghui & Secor, William & Escalante, Cesar L., 2022. "Banking Efficiency Analysis for U.S. agricultural and non-agricultural banks: Comparative Period Analysis between the Great Recession of the late 2000s and the Current Pandemic conditions," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322329, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Richard Adjei Dwumfour & Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie & Emmanuel Kwasi Mensah, 2022. "Bank efficiency and the bank lending channel: new evidence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1489-1542, September.
    11. Wanglin Ma & Kathryn Bicknell & Alan Renwick, 2019. "Feed use intensification and technical efficiency of dairy farms in New Zealand," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(1), pages 20-38, January.
    12. Ahimbisibwe, Vianny & Zhunusova, Eliza & Kassa, Habtemariam & Günter, Sven, 2024. "Technical efficiency drivers of farmer-led restoration strategies, and how substantial is the unrealised potential for farm output?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    13. Chen, Jiandong & Wu, Yinyin & Song, Malin & Zhu, Zunhong, 2017. "Stochastic frontier analysis of productive efficiency in China's Forestry Industry," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 87-95.
    14. Tommy Lundgren & Mattias Vesterberg, 2024. "Efficiency in electricity distribution in Sweden and the effects of small-scale generation, electric vehicles and dynamic tariffs," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 121-137, October.
    15. Radha R. Ashrit, 2023. "Estimation of technical efficiency of Indian farms for major crops during 2013–2014 and 2017–2018: a stochastic Frontier production approach," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 1-32, February.
    16. Sabrina Auci & Donatella Vignani, 2020. "Climate variability and agriculture in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis at the regional level," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(2), pages 381-409, July.
    17. Danuse Nerudova & Marian Dobranschi, 2019. "Alternative method to measure the VAT gap in the EU: Stochastic tax frontier model approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-38, January.
    18. Kang, Jijun & Yu, Chenyang & Xue, Rui & Yang, Dong & Shan, Yuli, 2022. "Can regional integration narrow city-level energy efficiency gap in China?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    19. Valentina Hartarska & Denis Nadolnyak & Roy Mersland, 2014. "Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 96(5), pages 1291-1306.
    20. Nguyen, Hoa-Thi-Minh & Do, Huong & Kompas, Tom, 2021. "Economic efficiency versus social equity: The productivity challenge for rice production in a ‘greying’ rural Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crop Production/Industries;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:afjare:333985. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaaeaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.