IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/2540.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Sustainable Cotton Production through Skill Development among Farmers: Evidence from Khairpur District of Sindh, Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Khan, M. Azeem
  • Iqbal, Muhammad

Abstract

This study on farmers’ training in environment friendly production practices for cotton crop was conducted in the Khairpur district of Sindh province. Data used in this study comprises baseline and post IPM Farmer Field School (FFS) impact surveys conducted during 2001 and 2003 respectively. The programme impacts were estimated on gross margins and changes in farmers’ attitude towards environment and biodiversity. The effect of training on social recognition of farmers, their experimentations abilities, and decision making skills were also examined. Beside single difference comparisons of change in production practices between trained and non-trained farmers, the difference in difference (DD) method was also used for comparisons among FFS farmers, exposed farmers and un-exposed farmers from control villages. The stochastic production frontier model incorporating inefficiency effects is also estimated to analyze the impact of farmers’ training (through FFS) on productivity and efficiency at cotton farms in the study area. Results show better cotton yield and reduction in cost of pesticides and fertilizer inputs enabled FFS farmers to fetch significantly higher gross margins (US$ 391/ha) than non-FFS (US$ 151/ha) and Control farms (US$ 25/ha). The total application of pesticide chemicals was largely reduced (44%) on FFS farms. The cost of inefficiency at FFS farms was lower (23.71%) as compared to those on non-FFS farms (30.50%) which implies that FFS farmers were able to maintain higher level of technical efficiency. It is concluded that the FFS approach is not only cost efficient but also improves farm level technical efficiency. Information generated through Agro-ecosystem analysis on pest and predator dynamics helps farmers to understand pest-predator interaction to allow nature to work with lesser or most appropriate interventions. A well-planned technical backup support mechanism is recommended to be evolved through integrating research system into farmer-led experimentation. The Programme achievements show that FFS approach in Pakistan has furthered from only crop management to systems management and community development approach and should be supported further to enter into mass scale expansion state.

Suggested Citation

  • Khan, M. Azeem & Iqbal, Muhammad, 2005. "Sustainable Cotton Production through Skill Development among Farmers: Evidence from Khairpur District of Sindh, Pakistan," MPRA Paper 2540, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2005.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:2540
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/2540/1/MPRA_paper_2540.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gershon Feder & Rinku Murgai & Jaime B. Quizon, 2004. "Sending Farmers Back to School: The Impact of Farmer Field Schools in Indonesia," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 26(1), pages 45-62.
    2. M. Azeem Khan & Muhammad Iqbal & Iftikhar Ahmad & Manzoor H. Soomro, 2002. "Economic Evaluation of Pesticide Use Externalities in the Cotton Zones of Punjab, Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 41(4), pages 683-698.
    3. Munir Ahmad & Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry & Mohammad Iqbal, 2002. "Wheat Productivity, Efficiency, and Sustainability: A Stochastic Production Frontier Analysis," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 41(4), pages 643-663.
    4. 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.
    5. Feenstra, S. & Jabbar, A. & Masih, R. & Jehangir, W. A., 2000. "Health hazards of pesticides in Pakistan," IWMI Research Reports H026193, International Water Management Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Irfan, 2010. "A Review of the Labour Market Research at PIDE 1957-2009," PIDE Books, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, number 2010:1 edited by Rashid Amjad & Aurangzeb A. Hashmi, December.
    2. Nadeem Ul Haque & Musleh-ud Din & Lubna Hasan, 2007. "Research at PIDE: Key Messages," PIDE Books, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, number 2007:2, December.
    3. Watto, Muhammad Arif & Mugera, Amin William, 2013. "Measuring Groundwater Irrigation Efficiency in Pakistan: A DEA Approach Using the Sub-vector and Slack-based Models," Working Papers 144943, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

    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. Jara-Rojas, Roberto & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E. & Moreira, Victor H. & Diaz, Jose, 2012. "Natural Resource Conservation and Technical Efficiency from Small-scale Farmers in Central Chile," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126227, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Farnaz Pourzand & Mohammad Bakhshoodeh, 2014. "Technical effici ency and agricultural sustainability–technology gap of maize producers in Fars province of Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 671-688, June.
    3. Phu Nguyen-Van & Nguyen To-The, 2016. "Technical efficiency and agricultural policy: evidence from the teaproduction in Vietnam," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 97(3), pages 173-184.
    4. Phu Nguyen-Van & Nguyen To-The, 2014. "Agricultural extension and technical efficiency of tea production in northeastern Vietnam," Working Papers of BETA 2014-11, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    5. Joachim Nyemeck BINAM & Jim GOCKOWSKI & Guy Blaise NKAMLEU, 2008. "Technical Efficiency And Productivity Potential Of Cocoa Farmers In West African Countries," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 46(3), pages 242-263, September.
    6. Dénis B. Akouwerabou, 2023. "Effect of agricultural extension on cotton farmer's efficiency in arid and semi‐arid areas of Burkina Faso," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(1), pages 42-59, February.
    7. Muhammad Azeem Khan & M. Iqbal & Iftikhar Ahmad, 2007. "Environment-Friendly Cotton Production through Implementing Integrated Pest Management Approach," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 46(4), pages 1119-1135.
    8. Binam, Joachim Nyemeck & Tonye, Jean & wandji, Njankoua & Nyambi, Gwendoline & Akoa, Mireille, 2004. "Factors affecting the technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the slash and burn agriculture zone of Cameroon," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 531-545, October.
    9. Jianxu Liu & Sanzidur Rahman & Songsak Sriboonchitta & Aree Wiboonpongse, 2017. "Enhancing Productivity and Resource Conservation by Eliminating Inefficiency of Thai Rice Farmers: A Zero Inefficiency Stochastic Frontier Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    10. Ofori-Bah, Adeline & Asafu-Adjaye, John, 2011. "Scope economies and technical efficiency of cocoa agroforesty systems in Ghana," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1508-1518, June.
    11. Nguyen To The & Anh Nguyen Tuan, 2019. "Efficiency and adoption of organic tea production: Evidence from Vi Xuyen district, Ha Giang province, Vietnam," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 201-217, February.
    12. Sandunika Jayakody & Sajitha Dishanka, 2020. "An Estimation of Technical Efficiency of Tea Smallholdings in Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 10(4), pages 1-11.
    13. Jara-Rojas, Roberto & Bravo-Ureta, Boris & Solis, Daniel & Martinez, Daniela, 2016. "Production efficiency and commercialization channels among small-scale farmers: Evidence for raspberry production in Central Chile," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 229330, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    14. Nguyen To-The & Tuan Nguyen-Anh, 2021. "Impact of government intervention to maize efficiency at farmer’s level across time: a robust evidence in Northern Vietnam," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2038-2061, February.
    15. Fatima, Hina & Almas, Lal K & Yasmin, Bushra, 2017. "Production Efficiency Analysis of Capsicum (Bell Pepper) Cropping System under the Tunnels in Punjab, Pakistan," 2017 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2017, Mobile, Alabama 252736, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    16. Velarde, Orlee & Pede, Valerien O., 2013. "Pattern of investment allocation to chemical inputs and technical efficiency: A stochastic frontier analysis of farm households in Laguna, Philippines," 2013 Conference (57th), February 5-8, 2013, Sydney, Australia 152203, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    17. K. Ogundari, 2008. "Resource-productivity, allocative efficiency and determinants of technical efficiency of rainfed rice farmers: A guide for food security policy in Nigeria," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 54(5), pages 224-233.
    18. Mathias, Karangwa, 2010. "The Effect of Land Fragmentation on the Productivity and Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Maize Farms in Southern Rwanda," Research Theses 243457, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    19. repec:mth:jas888:v:7:y:2019:i:1:p:115-127 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Vecdi DEMIRCAN & Turan BINICI & Carl R. ZULAUF, 2010. "Assessing pure technical efficiency of dairy farms in Turkey," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 56(3), pages 141-148.
    21. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-464 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jara-Rojas, Roberto & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E. & Solis, Daniel & Arriagada, Daniela Martinez, 2017. "Technical Efficiency and Marketing Channels Among Small-Scale Farmers: Evidence for Raspberry Production in Chile," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(3), November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cotton Production; Skill Development; Production Frontier; Efficiency; Pakistan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

    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:pra:mprapa:2540. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.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.