Achieving sustainable development goals on no poverty and zero hunger: Does technical efficiency of Ghana’s maize farmers matter?
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Date
2018
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Agriculture & Food Security
Abstract
Background: Whether or not maize farmers are technically efficient determines their choice of productivity improvement
strategy and very important for achieving the sustainable development goals on no poverty and zero hunger.
This study examined technical efficiency and its determinants of Ghana’s maize farmers. Analysis of the determinants
is crucial to devising strategies aimed at improving technical efficiencies of the farmers as well as ensuring no poverty
and zero hunger.
Methods: The study used cross-sectional data collected from 576 maize farmers in the four main agro-ecological
zones of Ghana with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and the stochastic frontier production
function were the methods of analysis used.
Results: The results showed that the mean technical efficiency estimate for maize farmers in Ghana was 58.1%.
They also revealed that an increase in educational level, maize farming experience, extension contact as well as
uses of fertilizer and improved seeds would increase the technical efficiency of maize producers in Ghana. Similarly,
male Ghanaian maize farmers were more technically efficient than female farmers. Furthermore, membership of a
farmer association will increase their technical efficiencies. Finally, an increase in farm size and land fragmentation will
decrease technical efficiency of the maize farmers.
Conclusion: Efficiency improvement programmes by stakeholders in the maize industry could target literate maize
farmers since education enhances the managerial and technical skills of farmers and also increase farmers’ ability to
utilize existing technologies. Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) could also liaise with Ministry of Education to
provide maize farmers with no formal education with special training prior to introducing new efficiency enhancing
programmes to them. MOFA should analyse the problems extension officers face in the discharge of their duties to
pave the way for the provision of appropriate incentives to extension officers by stakeholders in the maize industry.
Description
This article is published in Agriculture & Food Security and also available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-018-0223-z
Keywords
Determinants, Maize, Technical efficiency, Stochastic frontier analysis
Citation
Agriculture & Food Security