Scale efficiency of maize farmers in four agro ecological zones of Ghana: A parametric approach
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Date
2019
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Publisher
Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
The study analyzed scale efficiency parametrically for Ghana’s smallholder maize farms. The data used
was obtained through a cross-sectional survey of 576 maize farmers in the Guinea Savannah,
Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones of Ghana using structured questionnaire. Descriptive
statistics and Ray’s (1998) proposed stochastic frontier analysis approach were the methods of analysis
employed. The results showed that the mean scale efficiencies were 86%, 91%, 89% and 86% for the
Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones respectively, indicating that generally,
scale inefficiencies existed in maize farms in the four agro ecological zones. The results further showed
that most maize farmers in each zone exhibit increasing returns to scale, indicating that their outputs fall
below efficient levels and therefore their output could be increased for optimal scales to be reached.
Finally, the results revealed that scale efficiency is explained by educational level, maize farming experience,
access to good roads and ready markets, group membership, extension contact, household size, land
fragmentation as well as uses of fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds. For scale efficiency to be
improved, maize farmers in the various agro ecological zones of Ghana are encouraged to employ more
of the production inputs available to them. For the farmers to be able to employ more of these inputs, cost
of production inputs could be subsidized and credit could be given to them by government.
Description
This article is published in Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences and also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2017.08.003
Keywords
Parametric estimation, Scale efficiency, Maize, Agro ecological zone
Citation
Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences