Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis

Stochastic production frontiers of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia, were fitted to a random sample of irrigated and rain-fed plots to compare their technical efficiencies. Propensity Score Matching Method was applied to select rain-fed plots with comparable bio-phy...

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Autores principales: Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria, Namara, Regassa E., Holden, S.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34576
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author Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria
Namara, Regassa E.
Holden, S.
author_browse Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria
Holden, S.
Namara, Regassa E.
author_facet Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria
Namara, Regassa E.
Holden, S.
author_sort Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Stochastic production frontiers of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia, were fitted to a random sample of irrigated and rain-fed plots to compare their technical efficiencies. Propensity Score Matching Method was applied to select rain-fed plots with comparable bio-physical attributes to irrigated plots that might have blurred the true efficiency differences between the two systems. Irrigated farms are on a higher production frontier with significant inefficiencies, while rain-fed farms are on a lower production frontier with high efficiency levels. Thus, there is considerable potential for increasing outputs by improving the efficiency of irrigation farms. Rain-fed systems need interventions in soil moisture management to move to a higher production frontier. The study underlines the need for correcting the sequence and mix of yield boosting technologies such as irrigation, improved seeds, and fertilizer that are promoted in arid environments such as Tigray. We recommend that water control must precede or implemented in tandem with improved seeds and fertilizer technologies. Unless soil moisture is improved by investing in moisture improving technologies, the use of seed and fertilizer in moisture stressed areas such as Tigray may have adverse effects.
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spelling CGSpace345762025-03-11T09:50:20Z Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria Namara, Regassa E. Holden, S. smallholders irrigated farming rainfed farming stochastic processes methods irrigation water mangement soil water content Stochastic production frontiers of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia, were fitted to a random sample of irrigated and rain-fed plots to compare their technical efficiencies. Propensity Score Matching Method was applied to select rain-fed plots with comparable bio-physical attributes to irrigated plots that might have blurred the true efficiency differences between the two systems. Irrigated farms are on a higher production frontier with significant inefficiencies, while rain-fed farms are on a lower production frontier with high efficiency levels. Thus, there is considerable potential for increasing outputs by improving the efficiency of irrigation farms. Rain-fed systems need interventions in soil moisture management to move to a higher production frontier. The study underlines the need for correcting the sequence and mix of yield boosting technologies such as irrigation, improved seeds, and fertilizer that are promoted in arid environments such as Tigray. We recommend that water control must precede or implemented in tandem with improved seeds and fertilizer technologies. Unless soil moisture is improved by investing in moisture improving technologies, the use of seed and fertilizer in moisture stressed areas such as Tigray may have adverse effects. 2012 2013-11-21T05:04:46Z 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z 2013-11-21T05:04:46Z 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34576 en Open Access Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria; Namara, Regassa E.; Holden, S. 2012. Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, 51(3):203-226.
spellingShingle smallholders
irrigated farming
rainfed farming
stochastic processes
methods
irrigation
water mangement
soil water content
Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria
Namara, Regassa E.
Holden, S.
Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title_full Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title_fullStr Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title_full_unstemmed Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title_short Technical efficiency of irrigated and rain-fed smallholder agriculture in Tigray, Ethiopia: a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
title_sort technical efficiency of irrigated and rain fed smallholder agriculture in tigray ethiopia a comparative stochastic frontier production function analysis
topic smallholders
irrigated farming
rainfed farming
stochastic processes
methods
irrigation
water mangement
soil water content
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34576
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AT holdens technicalefficiencyofirrigatedandrainfedsmallholderagricultureintigrayethiopiaacomparativestochasticfrontierproductionfunctionanalysis