Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach

This study measures and explains technical efficiency (TE), economic efficiency and allocative efficiency of 110 small-scale vegetable farmers practicing various irrigation technologies for increased productivity. We employed the two-stage approach to estimate efficiency scores under constant return...

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Main Authors: Adams, Abdulai, Balana, Bedru, Lefore, Nicole
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: SAGE Publications 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142782
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author Adams, Abdulai
Balana, Bedru
Lefore, Nicole
author_browse Adams, Abdulai
Balana, Bedru
Lefore, Nicole
author_facet Adams, Abdulai
Balana, Bedru
Lefore, Nicole
author_sort Adams, Abdulai
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study measures and explains technical efficiency (TE), economic efficiency and allocative efficiency of 110 small-scale vegetable farmers practicing various irrigation technologies for increased productivity. We employed the two-stage approach to estimate efficiency scores under constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) specifications. First, using a linear programming method, efficiency scores of the irrigated vegetable farmers were measured using the data envelopment analysis approach. The results show that about 27.3 per cent of the farmers currently operate on the production possibility frontier and are technically efficient, while 3.6 per cent were found to be both economically and allocatively efficient. The mean TE score for CRS was 50.6 per cent, compared with 78.1 per cent under the VRS. A Tobit regression at the second-stage analysis revealed that gender, experience, health and credit utilization have significant effects on TE. These results are valuable for stakeholders interested in promoting efficiency in smallholder irrigated production.JEL Classification: C14, C61, D24, D61, Q12
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spelling CGSpace1427822025-03-11T09:50:20Z Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach Adams, Abdulai Balana, Bedru Lefore, Nicole efficiency data analysis farmers technology smallholders irrigation data envelopment analysis agricultural productivity small-scale farming This study measures and explains technical efficiency (TE), economic efficiency and allocative efficiency of 110 small-scale vegetable farmers practicing various irrigation technologies for increased productivity. We employed the two-stage approach to estimate efficiency scores under constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) specifications. First, using a linear programming method, efficiency scores of the irrigated vegetable farmers were measured using the data envelopment analysis approach. The results show that about 27.3 per cent of the farmers currently operate on the production possibility frontier and are technically efficient, while 3.6 per cent were found to be both economically and allocatively efficient. The mean TE score for CRS was 50.6 per cent, compared with 78.1 per cent under the VRS. A Tobit regression at the second-stage analysis revealed that gender, experience, health and credit utilization have significant effects on TE. These results are valuable for stakeholders interested in promoting efficiency in smallholder irrigated production.JEL Classification: C14, C61, D24, D61, Q12 2020-09-01 2024-05-22T12:11:03Z 2024-05-22T12:11:03Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142782 en https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.03.021 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134152 Limited Access SAGE Publications Adams, Abdulai; Balana, Bedru; and Lefore, Nicole. 2020. Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach. Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research 14(3): 332-352. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973801020919840
spellingShingle efficiency
data analysis
farmers
technology
smallholders
irrigation
data envelopment analysis
agricultural productivity
small-scale farming
Adams, Abdulai
Balana, Bedru
Lefore, Nicole
Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title_full Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title_fullStr Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title_full_unstemmed Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title_short Efficiency of small-scale irrigation farmers in Northern Ghana: A data envelopment analysis approach
title_sort efficiency of small scale irrigation farmers in northern ghana a data envelopment analysis approach
topic efficiency
data analysis
farmers
technology
smallholders
irrigation
data envelopment analysis
agricultural productivity
small-scale farming
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142782
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AT balanabedru efficiencyofsmallscaleirrigationfarmersinnorthernghanaadataenvelopmentanalysisapproach
AT leforenicole efficiencyofsmallscaleirrigationfarmersinnorthernghanaadataenvelopmentanalysisapproach